Jessica Holloway and Jordan Kipp

Dr. Moerdyk

SCH 106 01 Foundations of Chemistry

7 December 2018

The Haber-Bosch Process

There are approximately 7.5 billion people living in the world today, all requiring

harvested plants to sustain them. About 100 years ago, two men devised a plan to more quickly

grow crops in fertilizer. Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch created the Haber-Bosch Process which

allows ammonia to be created rapidly, and more nitrogen to be added into fertilizer, creating a

larger yield of crops every season. Although this Process significantly increases the amount of

food generated, the ammonia that produces the nitrogen for the fertilizer is kept under

dangerously high temperatures and pressures and has caused disastrous consequences

(Louchheim). Therefore, the Haber-Bosch Process is highly disputed and raises questions of its

safety in modern society. Ammonia is found in many parts of daily life, including cleaning

products, and occurs naturally in our bodies. The production in the Haber-Bosch Process highly

affects the amount of ammonia in our air, increasing the nitrogen that can be used in daily life.

The Haber-Bosch Process consists of the chemical reaction between nitrogen and

hydrogen to form ammonia. The balanced equation can be written as N2(g) + 3H2(g) ⇌ 2NH3(g). The

nitrogen and hydrogen react exothermically under very high temperatures and very high

pressures. A typical Haber-Bosch Process reacts under about 450∘C and 200 atmospheres

(“GCSE Chemistry”). An iron catalyst is used in order to speed up the already fast reaction. The

highly pressurized gases are pushed through a tank containing iron catalysts and the process

begins the production of ammonia. The reaction can also be reverse so that ammonia can create
nitrogen and hydrogen. The increased pressure causes the reaction to favor the production of

ammonia.

Based on the elements and their reaction together, nitrogen and hydrogen go through the

process in a 1:3 ratio. This unequal ratio results in an excess of hydrogen causing a waste of

space in the tank with hydrogens that cannot be reacted (“LibreTexts”). Ammonia forms a

trigonal planar bond in which each hydrogen is singly bonded to the nitrogen with one lone pair.

Because of how ammonia is bonded, it includes dispersion forces, dipole forces, and hydrogen

bonds which are very hard to be broken down. The Haber-Bosch equation is an equilibrium

equation and shows that the left side of the equation consists of 4 molecules and the right

consists of 2. According to Le Chatelier's Principle, increasing the pressure will cause the

reaction to favor the side with 2 molecules (GCSE Bitesize Science - Making Ammonia). This is

exactly what happens in the Haber-Bosch Process. The reaction is put under high pressures in

order for the reaction to produce ammonia. Increasing the pressure also increases the solubility

of the gases, therefore they react more easily. The reaction also requires high temperatures in

order to complete a quicker reaction. The average temperature of the Haber-Bosch Process is 450

∘C which is high enough to complete the process quickly but with the highest yield possible.

Each time the process occurs only about 15% of the hydrogen and nitrogen react to produce

ammonium. The excess hydrogen and nitrogen is recycled and reacted again. The nitrogen in air

consists of triple bonds that are difficult to be broken up by crops. Because of this the creation of

ammonia by the Haber-Bosch Process, nitrogen can more easily be used by crops. According to

Fritz Haber’s Nobel Lecture, the reaction was never completed spontaneously, which means that

the reaction occurs without the help of outside forces, before Haber investigated this new process
(Haber). The Haber-Bosch Process also requires many large-scale production plants in order to

create enough ammonia to provide for everything that is in need of the nitrogen from ammonia.

Fritz Haber was born into a German family, and was inspired by his father to pursue his

interests in chemistry. Haber began working on this process because of his concern for the

amount of nitrate being produced in order to grow a sufficient amount of crops. Crops cannot use

nitrogen alone, but only nitrogen combined with hydrogen. After much research on the

agricultural implications of nitrogen, nitrates, and specifically ammonia, Haber began to take an

in depth look at what he could do to more efficiently produce nitrogen for crops. He based his

thoughts off of the work of Margueritte and Sourdeval who were able to produce ammonia by

the reaction of caustic baryte, coal, and nitrogen under high temperatures to form barium

cyanide. When cooled the products can be broken down to form ammonia. He researched

ammonia productions by other chemists and began to form his own ideas. Haber studied the

synthesis of nitric oxide and became discouraged until he discovered the use of an iron catalyst

to produce surplus ammonia. In 1908 Haber suggested to a German chemical company that he

wanted to attempt reaction hydrogen and nitrogen to form ammonia under high pressures. He

completed many trials under different temperature and pressures until he was successful. While

Haber admitted that this may not be the final solution, he made a huge contribution to the

chemical production of nitrogen from ammonia in order to grow crops (Haber).

Carl Bosch was also a German chemist, but he was more interested in the engineering

aspect of chemistry. Bosch was appointed by the German chemical company to engineer the

industrial scale machinery responsible for completing the reaction. He ran into a few problems

with the plant, including the supply of the raw materials necessary, the economical

disadvantages, and of course the actual construction of the machine. Bosch discovered how to
harvest hydrogen using water gas by a catalytic process, which was the most cost effective

source. He then found that iron was the most cost effective catalyst that did not react with air.

Lastly, after spending long hours in a laboratory, Bosch created the apparatus to be used. He

created prototypes and redesigned it until it was successful. After creating the machine, Bosch

had to help determine the correct temperatures and pressures used in it (Bosch). The cooperation

between Haber and Bosch successful lead to the ability of machinery to create ammonia from

nitrogen and hydrogen.

The Haber-Bosch Process is still being advanced today due to new research and

technology. In May 2018, an article was published outlining current research about “greener”

ways to create ammonia. The University of Southern Florida, in cooperation with Virginia Tech,

suggest the use of reusable energy (like solar or wind energy) to power the production of

ammonia. An assistant professor at the university, Xiaofeng Feng, explains that their research

found that using palladium hydride as a catalyst is much more energy efficient. There is still

much more research to be done, but it is predicted that this new discovery will use less energy in

converting nitrogen and hydrogen to ammonia, as well as have a similar effect on processes

involving carbon dioxide and other fuels (Kotala). Likewise, researchers at Lawrence Berkeley

National Laboratory and Georgia Institute of Technology have discovered a new way to harvest

nitrogen that is able to be used by crops. The reaction of nitrogen and titanium dioxide in the

presence of light and possibly carbon atoms has created a nitrogen-fixing reaction. This option is

much more inexpensive and more reasonable, especially for countries outside the United States.

It could allow farmers to create their own fertilizer with only the necessary sunlight (Georgia

Institute of Technology). There have been many advancements to the Haber-Bosch Process, but

the basics remain the same. Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch’s discovery of creating ammonia from
the reaction between diatomic hydrogen and nitrogen using an iron catalyst is still used today.

This process is the most used in the world today to create fertilizer.

While widely used in chemical synthesis and production, ammonia has a wide variety of

uses outside of this. Just in homes, many bottles of cleaning solution contain ammonia. It is

particularly effective in breaking down buildup of grimes, such as that found in kitchens and

bathrooms, and also because of its ability to evaporate quickly, it is used in glass cleaning

products (“Ammonia Uses and Benefits”). Common products such as toilet bowl cleaner, glass

cleaners like Windex, and multipurpose cleaners contain levels of ammonia. Similarly, ammonia

is a common alternative to bleach for treating clothes. Its highly effective at keeping whites

white, and removing stains from liquids, greases, and oils. This is especially important to follow

on clothes that may be contaminated with pesticides or fertilizer that might have contained

ammonia, because attempting to remove these stains with bleach, which contains sodium

hypochlorite, can lead to harmful chemicals forming. The mixing of ammonia and sodium

hypochlorite forms toxic gases called chloramines (“You and Your Family”). Ammonia is not

just useful in the cleaning industry, but also the medical industry. Ammonia inhalants, more

commonly known as smelling salts, are used to help awaken someone who has fainted. These

work by irritating the linings inside the nose and lungs and causing an inhalation reflex

(McCrory). Instructions state to hold the medicine approximately 10 to 15 cm away from to nose

to prevent actual burns. Ammonia has many uses inside the home, but it also has uses in larger,

industry settings.

In the refrigerant industry, ammonia is used as a coolant gas because of its ability to

absorb high amounts of heat. Anhydrous ammonia is over 99% pure ammonia, and is safer to use

in cooling systems than the other common coolant, chlorofluorocarbon, because it does not have
the potential to cause global warming or deplete the ozone layer (“Ammonia Refrigeration”). Not

only is ammonia found in large refrigeration industries, but also larger air conditioning units.

Similar to the use as a refrigerant, ammonia in the form of anhydrous ammonia is used as a

replacement for petroleum as transportation fuel. In internal combustion engines, ammonia is not

the most effective form of fuel due to it giving a fuel milage about half of that provided by

gasoline.

When planting crops, soil that is rich in minerals and nutrients is necessary to produce a

bountiful and healthy crop. In a field, each year plants are cycled so as to allow time for the

nutrients required for certain crops to be redistributed in the field. For example, one year corn

might be planted in a field, followed by carrots the next year, and lettuce the third year. Then, the

farmer may go plant corn again the fourth year, and reuse this plant cycle over the year. One of

these necessary nutrients for the crops happen to be nitrogen. The soil in Europe was not rich in

nitrogen, along with many other of these required chemicals for plant growth, so over 100 years

ago, Haber developed a method for creating high levels of nitrogen to use in ammonia, along

with Bosch’s machine used to create the ammonia on an industrial scale (Louchhiem). The

Haber-Bosch Process was not initially created for the use of fertilizers as it turned to around the

early 1920s, but was instead used to help the German army during the beginning of the first

world war. Haber identified as a patriot, and believed that “a scientist should do everything in

their power to help their country, especially in time of war” (May). This led to Haber insisting

the use of ammonia during World War I.

During the war, in Germany, Haber and Bosch aided in the manufacturing of large

amounts of ammonia to produce nitrate. Nitrates were using in the manufacturing of gunpowder

(Ritter). Without Haber’s new method to produce nitrates, it is believed Germany would have
run out by 1916, only 2 years into the war. Germany no longer had to rely on foreign countries

for their production of gunpowder or even fertilizers. They were able to use their naval powers

for the war rather than transportation (Zmaczynski). This was also especially helpful since the

majority of Germany’s nitrate supply had been received from Britain, who was now on the

opposing side of the war (Ritter). The Haber-Bosch Process also led to Haber learning how to

manufacture many other chemicals that could be used in warfare. Similarly to producing

ammonia under the cover of using it for fertilizers, Haber was creating other gases under the

cover of insecticides. One of these chemicals was known as Zyklon B. This is gas that later

became famous for its use in concentration camps (May).

Even after the war had ended, the production of ammonia through the Haber-Bosch

Process continued in full swing for the other initial purpose of making fertilizer high in nitrogen.

In the early 1900s, when the process was first created, the world population was approximately

1.6 billion. Now, the population has hit 6.7 billion. With how well fertilizers made using the

Haber-Bosch Process are at increasing food production, the capacity of produce can still

increase, and the world population could continue to increase, but there are still places in Africa

and other third world countries where the civilians cannot afford to buy fertilizer (Ritter). The

exponential spike of the human population occurred in the early 1900s, the same time the process

was created, and many scientists believe that would not have occurred without the discovery of

this process. The process continues to supply millions to billions of people annually, which can

continue to keep growing with the development of new technology.

Today ammonia is the second most produced chemical in the world, requiring 2 percent

of all energy used. With its ability to be stored long term and used as an energy source for many

processes, the Haber-Bosch Process is still being used to create fertilizers, but now, ammonia is
also being used as a fuel source. Every day, upwards of 1,500 tons of ammonia are produced

using the Haber-Bosch Process, with a total of 176 million tons being made in 32014 alone

(Soloveichik). To make the Haber-Bosch Process a more energy conservative process through a

more active catalyst or a mixture of catalysts to reduce the needed temperature and pressure.

There are also talks of ridding the Haber-Bosch Process and moving towards electrochemical

synthesis (Soloveichik). To keep up with the ever increasing population, more and more fertilizer

needs to be made, but needs to be made in a way that is not using as many fossil fuels as the

process currently requires. As a fuel source, ammonia will be used for its three hydrogen, rather

than its single nitrogen use in fertilizers. This will work as a carbon free fuel source.

Soloveichik's plan is to find a way to collect the hydrogen from water rather than fossil fuels, use

less energy, and decrease the cost of running the process. His improvements to the process will

help to increase its efficiency, which currently stands at 61 to 66 percent effective (Brown). The

history of the Haber-Bosch Process has been long, with few major changes, but it is unknown

what may become of it in the future.

While much of the history of the Haber-Bosch Process has been centered around its use

for creating and producing fertilizers, the process did have a dark history. It’s time during World

War I showed how science created for constructive purposes, can also have a time of destructive

purposes. Nowadays, a scientific discovery that can have constructive or destructive uses is

known as a “dual-use research of concern,” which is any “sciences research that could be

misapplied to pose a threat to public health and safety, agricultural crops and other plants,

animals, the environment or materiel” (Evans). While the Haber-Bosch Process was an

improvement to agriculture and fertilizers, it posed a threat to the health and safety to humans,

especially during World War I, but also due to the gases negative health effects in large
quantities and the ability to react and explode quickly. Similar to the Haber-Bosch Process,

Agent Orange was a chemical used to control plant growth, but found a new use during the

Vietnam War. This herbicides was sprayed over forests and crop fields to expose the Vietnam

soldiers and destroy their food supply during the war. While it was only meant to expose the

soldier then degrade in a few days, the chemical was contaminated with another chemical known

as dioxin. The chemical sprayed had a concentration upwards of 50 times stronger than that

needed to kill plants. To this day, all of the chemical has not degraded and is causing birth

defects in a large population of Vietnam children (“Agent Orange”). Nuclear fission and fusion

are two process created to be able to create more energy than burning carbon based fossil fuels

can. Nuclear Fission is splitting one large atom into at least two smaller ones, and nuclear fusion

is bringing 2 or more light atoms into a larger one. Both forms of energy creation have been used

for bad. Nuclear fusion led to the creation of the hydrogen bomb, and nuclear fission led to the

creation of the atomic bomb (“Fission”). A hydrogen bomb has never been used in war like an

atomic bomb was twice in Japan, but it is believed a few have been created and reside on this

Earth, and have the capability to cause even more damage than the atomic bombs dropped in

Japan. It has been know for a long time that lead if not safe for humans, so when in 1924,

scientist Thomas Midgley stuck his hands into a container of tetraethyl lead which was to be

added into petrol to make the first batch of leaded petrol for GM. The addition of lead allowed

engines to run on higher compression ratios which allowed them to be more powerful, but began

messing with the heads of workers and those using the leaded petrol. Many workers in factories

began hallucinating from the exposure to the lead gas. Concerns began to arise as to how the lead

might be affecting people driving everyday and those walking along busy streets. As more and

more deaths occurred seemingly related to the added lead, states began to ban the additive from
petrol (Harford). Lastly, cloning has become a major debate in the science community. While it

has yet to be tested on humans, the good and bad effects can already be seen on the animals the

procedure has been practiced on. While it can help to cure genetic diseases, it does result in a

shorter life span. It also raises the ethical concerns of creating another human simply as a donor

of healthy cells and organs. Even though the genetic diseases of the clones counterpart are able

to be cured, other birth defects or pneumonia and liver failure tend to be the lead cause of the

short life span of clones (“Reproductive”). With scientific discoveries such as these it's hard to

classify science as good or evil. Initially, the scientific discovery tends to have a constructive

purpose, not meant to cause harm, but many times it the way the science is handled that makes it

inherently destructive. Not all science is good science, but certainly not all science is evil

science.

The process of creating ammonia from gaseous nitrogen and hydrogen, the Haber-Bosch

Process, has made a major impact on how our society has developed to the point it is at today.

While it was used during World War I in a destructive way, it has been unspeakably important in

the growth of society and being able to grow and feed the world. The process requires high

temperatures and extremely high pressures, but currently scientists are working to reinvent the

process to use less of both of these, or completely make it electrochemical. Until a new process

can be created that is more energy efficient and safe, continued use of the Haber-Bosch Process

is necessary for continuing to feed our world.

“Agent Orange/Dioxin History.” The Aspen Institute, Aug. 2011,

www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/ammonia_refrigeration/ammonia/.

“Ammonia Uses and Benefits | Chemical Safety Facts.” ChemicalSafetyFacts.org, 21 Aug. 2018,

www.chemicalsafetyfacts.org/ammonia/.

Bosch, Carl. “The Development of the Chemical High Pressure Method during the Establishment

of the New Ammonia Industry.” Nobel Prize, 1932,

www.nobelprize.org/uploads/2018/06/bosch-lecture.pdf.

Brown, Trevor. “The Future of Ammonia: Improvement of Haber-Bosch ... or Electrochemical

Synthesis?” AMMONIA INDUSTRY, 22 Jan. 2018, ammoniaindustry.com/the-future-of-

ammonia-improvement-of-haber-bosch-or-electrochemical-synthesis/.

Evans, Nicholas G. “When Scientific Advances Can Both Help and Hurt Humanity.” Phys.org -

News and Articles on Science and Technology, Phys.org, 3 Feb. 2017,

phys.org/news/2017-02-scientific-advances-humanity.html#jCp.

“Fission and Fusion: What Is the Difference?” Department of Energy, 7 May 2018,
www.energy.gov/ne/articles/fission-and-fusion-what-difference.
“GCSE Bitesize Science - Making Ammonia : Revision.” BBC, BBC,

www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/triple_aqa/production_ammonia/making_a

mmonia/revision/1/.

“GCSE Chemistry (Single Science) - Making Fertiliser - OCR Gateway - Revision 5.”

BBC News, BBC, www.bbc.com/bitesize/guides/zxy9ng8/revision/5.

Source of Farm Fertilizer.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 27 Nov. 2018,

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181127131554.htm.

Haber, Fritz. “The Synthesis of Ammonia from Its Elements.” Nobel Prize, 1920,

www.nobelprize.org/uploads/2018/06/haber-lecture.pdf.

Harford, Tim. “Why Did We Use Leaded Petrol for so Long?” BBC News, BBC, 28 Aug.

2017, www.bbc.com/news/business-40593353.

Kotala, Zenaida Gonzalez. “A Green Approach to Making Ammonia Could Help Feed

the World.” University of Central Florida News | UCF Today, University of Central

Florida, May 2018, today.ucf.edu/green-approach-making-ammonia-help-feed-world/.

Libretexts. “The Haber Process.” Chemistry LibreTexts, National Science Foundation, 26 Nov.

2018,

chem.libretexts.org/Textbook_Maps/Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry_Textbook_M

aps/Supplemental_Modules_(Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry)/Equilibria/Le_Chate

lier%27s_Principle/The_Haber_Process.

Louchheim, Justin. “Fertilizer History: The Haber-Bosch Process.” Fertilizer 101: The Big 3 -

Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium | TFI | The Fertilizer Institute, 29 Oct. 2016,

www.tfi.org/the-feed/fertilizer-history-haber-bosch-process.

May, Paul. The Haber Process. University of Bristol,

www.chm.bris.ac.uk/~paulmay/haber/haber.htm.

McCrory, P. “Smelling Salts.” National Center for Biotechnology Information, Aug. 2006,

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2579444/.
“Reproductive Cloning Arguments Pro and Con.” How Much Do Stem Cell Treatments Really

Cost? | Center for Genetics and Society, 15 May 2006,

www.geneticsandsociety.org/internal-content/reproductive-cloning-arguments-pro-and-

con.

Ritter, Steven K. “The Haber-Bosch Reaction: An Early Chemical Impact On Sustainability.”

CEN RSS, American Chemical Society, 2008, cen.acs.org/articles/86/i33/Haber-Bosch-

Reaction-Early-Chemical.html.

Soloveichik, Grigorii. “Future of Ammonia Production: Improvement of Haber-Bosch Process or

Electrochemical Synthesis?” NH3 Fuel Association, 9 Nov. 2017,

nh3fuelassociation.org/2017/10/01/future-of-ammonia-production-improvement-of-

haber-bosch-process-or-electrochemical-synthesis/.

“You and Your Family.” Washington State Department of Health,

www.doh.wa.gov/YouandYourFamily/HealthyHome/Contaminants/BleachMixingDange

rs.

Zmaczynski, Raymond. “The Effect of the Haber Process on Fertilizers.” Princeton University,

The Trustees of Princeton University,

www.princeton.edu/~hos/mike/texts/readmach/zmaczynski.htm.

Chemical & Engineering News “The Haber-Bosch Reaction: An Early Chemical Impact on

Sustainability”
This source was helpful for gaining a starting understanding on the history of the Haber-Bosch

Process, such as during World War I and the initial population boom. This is also a trustworthy

source because it is .org. This website is also one that has relevance to the topic, unlike some

sources such as Michelle Duggar who does not have qualifications to speak on this topic.

OSHA “Ammonia Refrigeration”

OSHA is a .gov source, meaning that it is information though the government, so it is a

trustworthy source. This website was helpful for finding information relating to other uses for

ammonia. We were unsure about where to start for finding the other uses for ammonia, and this

source gave a good starting point.

The Fertilizer Institute “Fertilizer History: The Haber-Bosch Process

Similar to to the first source mentioned, this one is also .org. The Fertilizer Institute is an

organization that focuses on fertilizers, so they are trustworthy to find information relating to the

use of the Haber-Bosch Process in fertilizers. This source gave information on the necessity of

ammonia in the fertilizer industry.

US Weekly “Mom of 19 Michelle Duggar: I Don’t Believe in Overpopulation”

Michelle Duggar is a celebrity figure, she has no authority on the topic of this paper. While the

topic of overpopulation is discussed in part 2 of the discussion, what Mrs. Duggar is talking

about does no relate to the Haber-Bosch Process.

Californians for Population Stabilization “Actor Morgan Freeman: ‘We’re Already

Overpopulated

Similar to the Michelle Duggar article, just because someone is a famous celebrity, it

does not make them a credible source on a topic. While this article is more credible- a .org

website, it still does not relate the Haber-Bosch Process to overpopulation. At least this one is

using some statistics and facts, it is nothing that aids the research needed for this project.

The Guardian “This isn’t Bad Science. It’s Evil Science”

The Guardian is often considered a “reliable news source,” but for this research paper, it

is better to have articles found on databases or when looking to find provided sources, to use

ones that are .gov or .edu or even .org.