THE HABER PROCESS
The Haber process was developed by a physicist named Fritz Haber during the period of the First World War. In simple terms, the Haber process is a method of producing ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen through chemical reactions. This method was invented during the First World War. Haber was of Jewish origin, which was not really a concern at the time. However, after Adolph Hitler came to power, and World War Two began, Haber migrated to Switzerland, due to the anti-Semitic beliefs arising in Germany. I will discuss some of the main aspects of the Haber process, its significance at the time of discovery, some of the important impacts of this breakthrough, and basically some general information about Fritz Haber, and his concept of the Haber process.
In 1913, Haber had his greatest achievement, the discovery of a process for producing ammonia, by thy combination of nitrogen and hydrogen. Fritz Haber was a German chemist who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1918 for his accomplishments in chemistry. Haber lived from 1868 to 1934. He helped Germany a lot during World War One, when he became chief of the German chemical warfare service. He served his country in many ways during the First World War such as inventing the process of ammonia synthesis. Ammonia was a vital tool for Germany as it was used as a raw material in the production of fertilizers, as well as for the production of nitric acid which is a raw material which is used in the production of high explosives as well as other ammunition. This breakthrough was very important as Germany used to obtain all its materials from other countries, which stopped trading with Germany. Haber is said to be one of the large figures of the First World War as he also helped to direct some of the first gas attacks against enemy troops, which is why he is sometimes referred to as 'the father of modern chemical warfare'.
At the end of the war, Haber was exhausted and disappointed. He felt a great burden for the loss of Germany in the war and helped out to pay Germany's war debts. Personally, I would say that the Haber process was a positive move for the Germans which came at just the right time. This is because it helped to make the unfertile war land fertile enough to grow crops. It also helped Germany to defend itself, by making explosives. However, this discovery could have also influenced other countries to outsmart Germany and to try and make new ...
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At the end of the war, Haber was exhausted and disappointed. He felt a great burden for the loss of Germany in the war and helped out to pay Germany's war debts. Personally, I would say that the Haber process was a positive move for the Germans which came at just the right time. This is because it helped to make the unfertile war land fertile enough to grow crops. It also helped Germany to defend itself, by making explosives. However, this discovery could have also influenced other countries to outsmart Germany and to try and make new improved and more destructive weapons. Fritz Haber once stated, "A scientist belongs to his country in times of war and to all mankind in times of peace." Here the chemist is relating to his devotion to helping Germany during the First World War.
The Haber process is for the production of ammonia gas (NH3) from its two elements, nitrogen (N2) and Hydrogen (H2). The reaction between nitrogen and hydrogen to produce ammonia had been known for many years, the productions were very small and the reactions were very slow. Fritz Haber determined the conditions necessary for this process to occur more effectively. The conditions required were high temperatures and very high pressures.
During World War one when the allies blocked off all trade routes going to and from Germany, all source of sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate were lost. These were Germany's essential sources of nitrogen. After some detailed research, the Germans found their source of nitrogen in the air, which was 80% nitrogen. Haber invented the process by which nitrogen was extracted from the air and combines it with hydrogen to form ammonia gas. The chemical formula for the Haber process is:
N2 + 3H2 2NH3 + heat
The Haber process is used to manufacture ammonia, from nitrogen and hydrogen. Subsequently, ammonia could be used to make nitric acid, which reacts with ammonia to create ammonium nitrate. This is one of the essential fertilizers used today. The raw materials which are required to create ammonia are air, for nitrogen, and methane and water, for hydrogen. If methane and steam are combined to react, carbon dioxide and hydrogen are formed. Hydrogen is acquired from the air by the process of fractional distillation. Fractional distillation is the process of separating components that have different boiling points by heating them, and then collecting the components as they evaporate. The industrial conditions to produce ammonia must have a temperature of about 450 to 500 degrees centigrade. If the temperature is raised, the reaction goes faster.
With the use of the Haber process, there are positive and negative environmental issues. The benefit of using nitrogenous fertilizers is that it increases the growth of crops, and turn out to be healthier. In addition to more food, the crops can be sold at a cheaper rate. However, every good discovery has its disadvantages, and the Haber process is no exception. Applying too much fertilizer to land can have a negative impact on food chains and eco systems. Fertilizers can be carried into and pollute rivers by transportation through rain. In a river, the fertilizers would have the same effect as they would on land. The fertilizers would initiate the growth of plants and algae. Consequently, algae would die in large numbers and the bacteria feeding on the dead plants would use up a lot of the oxygen in the water. This would result in lack of oxygen for the fish, thus causing them to die. Another drawback of fertilizers is that they contain large amounts of nitrates, which would flow into rivers. The same water would be used as drinking water by local people. Large amounts of nitrates in drinking water can be a health hazard as nitrates can interfere with the flow of oxygen in the blood stream.
The discovery of the Haber process has had an impact on our lives today. The long-term impact of the Haber process on societies has been immense. Firstly, the discovery of the Haber process encouraged people to design more, improved ways of making weapons. It also encouraged people to use more fertilizers, and to try and find better and more effective fertilizers. The main concern in the urban world is that of weaponry. The Haber process was one of the aspects which influenced the making of I also believe that the Haber process influenced chemical warfare, as well as the improvement of other artillery. The Haber process made people start thinking of destruction on a much larger scale. This could have been one of the aspects which influenced the start of world war two.
The basic aim of everyday life in many rural areas is 'survival'. I believe that the discovery of the Haber process also had a major impact on agriculture, and life in the rural areas, since most farms and agriculture related sites are located in rural areas. The systems of chemical fertilizers such as ammonia were developed in the Haber process, which is used today to help grow crops. This is one of the most positive outcomes from the Haber process. Another way in which the Haber process has influenced our society is in mining, which requires explosives. The chemicals in these explosives may contain some chemicals which are used in the Haber process as well. As time passes, better and safer explosives are being invented. However, all these have some relation to the Haber process, which influenced the ideas of people into inventing such explosives. The Haber process has also had a positive impact on trading, as countries have indulged in more trading of crops.
The discovery of the Haber process has some moral and ethical considerations involved in it. The Haber process has two different uses, making explosives, and fertilizers. There is always controversy about any topic which becomes famous, and important in our life. If used as an explosive, the Haber process can have a major impact on our planet, and damaging the environment. In issues of war, entire populations can be whipped out. The question we need to ponder upon is if the use of the Haber process is worth the risk of such devastation. However, on the other hand, the Haber process is very helpful in the agriculture aspect. Fertilizers help our crops to have optimum growth. They improve the value of land, and help plants to grow better and faster. Thus, being able to sustain populations, and having adequate food supplies. However, excessive usage of fertilizers can destroy plants.
Over all the controversy related to this topic, Fritz Haber will always be remembered, above all, for his research, which led to a process of synthesizing ammonia from hydrogen and nitrogen. The results of his research greatly helped Germany, who was assured of nitrates for explosives and for agriculture usage, even though all foreign trade was blocked.
Reversible Reactions
When a reaction is reversible, the reaction can go either forwards or backwards. The forward reaction is the reaction that we want, where the reactants are converted into products. The backward reaction is where the products become the original reactants. Both the reactions occur at the same time.
Udit Aggarwal