Industrial Ammonia

Ammonia serves countless purposes on our planet. It’s found in the soil as part of the nitrogen cycle, and it’s created as part of the decomposition cycle of dead and decaying matter. 

And while it is a naturally occurring chemical that is found in plants, animals and even humans, ammonia is also one of the most commonly produced chemicals on the planet, as a result of the need for industrial ammonia in so many industries. 

With so many industries requiring industrial ammonia, there is a need for a company not only to be able to supply it but also provide additional services and conduct safety training about its proper handling.

So how does the team at Airgas Specialty Products serve these industries that need ammonia for their products and services? 

How do we help our clients with the supply and safe implementation of industrial ammonia as is relevant to their field? And what do we have to offer?

Forms of Industrial Ammonia

Industrial ammonia is available in two forms: ammonium hydroxide (also known as aqua ammonia) and anhydrous ammonia, and Airgas Specialty Products proudly supplies high-caliber, pure forms of both of these types of ammonia for your varying needs. 

Anhydrous Ammonia: Anhydrous ammonia is pure NH3, one of the most widely used inorganic chemical compounds on the planet. It has a low boiling and evaporating temperature (-28℉), and so it is typically available in vaporous form or in a compressed liquid. This means that it must remain under very high pressure to maintain a liquid state. It is pure ammonia, and as the name suggests, there is no presence of water. It is also 40 times lighter than air.

Aqua Ammonia (Ammonium Hydroxide): Ammonium hydroxide is a solution of ammonia dissolved in water. Ammonia dissolves very easily and maintains a liquid state more readily in this form. Industrial aqua ammonia is typically a solution of 19- to 30-percent ammonia in a solution of water, and it is a very common form of industrial ammonia. 

Industries that Use Ammonia

Industrial ammonia is used in a wide array of fields and in many different kinds of industries. 

Agriculture: Much of the industrial ammonia that is produced is created for agricultural use. In fact, almost 90 percent of ammonia that is produced is purposed for agricultural fertilizer. The growing of crops in the same fields season after season depletes the presence of nitrogen that exists naturally in the soil. Because industrial ammonia is a good source of nitrogen, it is used to restore the nitrogen levels in the soil. 

This nitrogen is a major component of the chlorophyll found in plants, which means that without proper levels of nitrogen in the soil, photosynthesis is nearly impossible. This is why many farmers apply industrial ammonia directly to their soil, in order to fertilize and prepare the soil for a productive growing season. 

Metal Treating: Ammonia is used in many metal-treating processes, such as nitriding to create a protective atmosphere by diffusing nitrogen into the surface of metal, strengthening the surface of the metal and allow the metal deeper below the surface to remain soft. This is done anywhere that additional strength is needed and where heat is frequently a factor, such as gears, crankshafts, valve parts, extruder screws, die-casting tools, forging molds, injectors and more. 

Petroleum Industry: Industrial ammonia is used within the petroleum industry to balance the acidic properties of crude oil in order to prevent corrosion of equipment. 

Metal Mining: Industrial ammonia is crucial to mining certain metals like copper, lithium and cobalt. Ammonia is used to create explosives in order to successfully mine these metals. 

Industrial Refrigeration: Compression of industrial ammonia vapor creates refrigeration on an industrial level, used in frozen foods, pharmaceuticals and beverage processing. When the ammonia vaporizes, it takes up the surrounding heat and releases it elsewhere upon condensation. It is highly effective and does not harm the ozone as many other refrigerants do. 

DeNOx Systems: Ammonia also is used in removing nitrogen and oxides from the air in a process known as deNOx. Aqueous industrial ammonia is used to remove these harmful after-treatment sulfuric emissions from the air.

Airgas Specialty Products also consults with companies on the design and implementation of these deNOx systems. 

… And More: Where else is industrial ammonia used? There are so many different fields that use the properties in ammonia to effectively create quality products. Can we help your manufacturing or growing process? Here are just a few of the other industries that rely on ammonia:

• Leather, synthetic leather and rubber industries
• Pulp and paper manufacturing
• Food and beverage industries (as a source of nitrogen for yeast and other microorganisms)
• The creation of livestock feeds
• Anti-fungal treatment for crops
• Preservation of high-moisture corn (for storage)
• Water treatment

Industrial Ammonia Services

What else can Airgas Specialty Products do for your company? Beyond offering you a reliable, trustworthy supply of industrial ammonia, we offer a host of various services and even can serve as a safety consultant to educate and train your team on the proper techniques to prevent mishandling, accident or injury.

Engineering: With highly skilled engineers on our team who have experience in any and all of ammonia’s industrial uses, Airgas Specialty Products can help create safe and effective storage and supply systems that meet all industry regulations and fit your specific needs. 

Field Service: Ammonia is what we do. So when something goes wrong or when something needs attention, our highly skilled team can be there, solving the problem in the field. And because we are so specialized in the handling of industrial ammonia, we can fix the issue more quickly and efficiently and at less cost to you than using someone from your internal staff.

Pump-Outs: If you handle ammonia, then you already know the major importance of maintaining its purity as a chemical substance. At even the slightest contamination or smallest emergency situation that arises, Airgas Specialty Products can be there to conduct a full and thorough pump-out to restore your system to the highest level of purity. 

We pride ourselves in our ability to conduct safe and accurate pump-outs, and we do it a lot. In fact, we are the leading supplier of pump-out services nationwide. You can’t beat our level of experience.

Storage and Delivery Systems and Maintenance: Not only do we help design and supply storage and delivery systems to properly contain ammonia, but we also offer services to keep these systems working at their very best capacity. 

We offer a wide array of storage and delivery systems in all sizes and capacities, and we also are able to perform necessary monthly maintenance on these systems. This decreases the chance of the need for repairs as well as the chance of accidental release.

Have a question? In addition to these services, we consult with companies across the country to answer tricky questions and take out the guesswork in handling industrial ammonia. No matter how difficult or technical the question may be, our team is available to arrive at the right answer or the perfect solution to your problem.

We also offer prompt delivery services and are available for after-hours delivery and last-minute delivery of industrial ammonia because we know that in many fields, industrial ammonia isn’t a convenience—it’s a necessity in order for production to continue. 

Since our founding, we have focused on quality and safety in the industrial ammonia industry, and that’s what still propels our work today. 

Want to hear more about all the ways we can provide you with exceptional products and unbeatable service? Contact us today!