√ The History of the Haber Process Explained Chronologically
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Background
• Fritz Haber was born on 9 December 1868 in Breslau, Germany.
• One major industrial problem that needed to be solved was the production of nitrogenous fertilisers to replace the dwindling natural supplies from the guano deposits in Chile. The increase in world population and the need for food necessitated intensive farming.
• Haber realised that the production of ammonia was the key. Ammonia could be oxidised to nitric acid. Ammonia and nitric acid could then be converted to nitrogenous salts.
• By 1905, he had been able to make a small amount of ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen at a temperature of 1000 using an iron catalyst. Haber found that higher yields of ammonia could be obtained with other catalysts. The best catalyst was found to be osmium, followed by uranium or uranium carbide, but these were too costly.
• Research continued and by 1910 Haber and Carl Bosch (a chemical engineer) were able to manufacture large amounts of ammonia at a pressure of 15-20 MPa and a temperature of 500 using an iron-based catalyst discovered by Mittasch. The yield was only 15%, but by repeated recycling of unreacted materials, the yield of ammonia could be as high as 98%. By 1913, 30 tonnes of ammonia was being produced per day.
• With the outbreak of World War I, many of Haber’s contributions overcame supply problems for Germany’s war efforts, and in fact are held responsible for prolonging the war. He was also responsible for 'the development of chemical warfare, the large-scale use of chlorine gas by the Germans in France in 1915. This application of chemistry to modern warfare was a tragedy, both for humanity and for Haber personally. His wife was opposed to this project and pleaded with him to discontinue his involvement. In desperation, she committed suicide.
• At the time of World War I, Germany was highly dependent on overseas supplies of nitrate for agriculture and the manufacture of explosives. The synthesis of ammonia using the Haber process facilitated the manufacture of fertilisers for continued food production, and nitric acid, an essential component in the production of explosives and other ammunition.
• While much of his work was directed to supporting his country’s wartime needs, the development of the Haber process has been of immense value to humankind. The direct fixation of nitrogen in this process has enabled great increases in global food production.
the Haber process
• The Haber process involves an equilibrium reaction, and knowledge of Le Chatelier’s principle is needed in order to predict how reaction conditions will impact the production of ammonia by this process.
• The Haber process uses nitrogen (distilled from the air) to react with hydrogen (derived from fossil fuels) to produce ammonia, the raw material for many other important chemicals.
• In earlier times crop rotation was an essential part of regenerating soil with adequate levels of inorganic nitrogen to support the growth of most crops.
• Today, the use of nitrogenous fertilisers is essential for agriculture to produce massive quantities of food needed to support the world's growing population.
• Fertilisers such as ammonium salts and urea are manufactured from ammonia.
• The production of ammonia now represents a very significant addition to the earth's natural processes of nitrogen fixation.