Ammonium chloride in packaging for technical use (technical ammonium chloride) externally is a powdery product; delivery options in the form of granules are possible. The color is yellow or pink, the color varies depending on the brand of product used. It perfectly dissolves in ammonia and water, tastes brackish, has no smell.
Engineering and non-ferrous metallurgy, chemical and electrical, forestry and woodworking, medical and many other industries use ammonium chloride in their technological processes. Ammonium chloride has been widely used in agriculture as a nitrogen fertilizer; metallurgy uses it in the process of etching metals. Domestic textiles would lose the brightness of fabrics if they refused to use this compound. Ammonium chloride has found application in the manufacture of dry batteries, it copes well with tinning of steel parts with flux (ZnCl2). As a medical tool, it is used in medicines prescribed for edema, the nature of which is associated with the work of the heart, and NH4Cl enhances the effect of some diuretics. The production of some varnishes and adhesives is based on the use of ammonium chloride in hardeners.
Transportation and storage of NH4Cl in warehouses involves the packaging of this substance in paper combined multilayer bags or plastic bags. Their weight, as a rule, does not exceed 25 kg. It is also possible to use soft disposable specialized containers.
For the transportation of ammonium chloride, a wide range of closed vehicles (except air) is allowed. The use of soft specialized containers allows the transportation of open-type rolling stock in the absence of transshipments along the route.
Premises in which it is supposed to store ammonium chloride should ensure that moisture does not get on it. The storage area must first be cleaned of protruding objects with sharp edges that can damage the bag shell. In disposable specialized containers, the substance can be stored even in open areas.
During the production of soda, ammonium chloride turned out to be a by-product. Obtaining this substance is carried out by evaporation of the mother liquor. An independent reaction of the synthesis of NH4Cl is the interaction of ammonia with hydrochloric acid.
Laboratory studies of the properties of NH4Cl require reliable methods for determining its presence. A qualitative reaction to ammonium chloride, as a rule, determines the presence of an ammonium cation NH4 +.
If ammonia is released during the interaction of the salt with alkali with gentle heating, then we can confidently talk about the presence of the NH4 + cation substance in the initial solution. Ammonia vapor will color the wet litmus test, brought to the current of the emitted gas, in blue.
The second component of NH4Cl, the chloride anion, can be determined by acting on the test solution with silver. As a result of the reaction, the appearance of a white curdled sediment indicates the precipitation of silver chloride. Adding sodium thiosulfate or ammonia to the solution with the precipitate will lead to its dissolution.
Even in the textbook on inorganic chemistry of a high school course, one can find many available experiments for isolating the components of ammonium chloride, which indicates the relative safety of this substance for humans.
But accuracy when handling it is necessary, since it can cause irritation if it comes into contact with skin or eyes. The hazard can be generated by toxic gaseous toxic ammonia (belongs to the 4th hazard class), even its small concentrations cause irritation of the mucous membranes of the eyes and upper respiratory tract, a high concentration leads to an exciting effect on the central nervous system.