Thus the term Hammoniacus sal appears in the writings of Pliny the Elder, although it is not known whether that term is identical with the more modern sal ammoniac. Salts of ammonia have been known from very early times. Ammonium salts are also distributed in fertile soil and seawater. The kidneys excrete ammonium ions (NH 4 +) to neutralize excess acid. This chemical and its salts (ammonium salts) are also present in small quantities in rainwater ammonium chloride (called sal ammoniac) and ammonium sulfate are found in volcanic districts and crystals of ammonium bicarbonate have been found in Patagonian guano. OccurrenceĪmmonia occurs in small quantities in the atmosphere, being produced from the putrefaction of nitrogenous animal and vegetable matter. Substances containing ammonia or those similar to it are called ammoniacal. It is also the active ingredient in household glass cleaners. Liver dysfunction may lead to toxic levels of ammonia in the blood.Īmmonia is one of the most extensively manufactured inorganic chemicals, used mainly for the production of fertilizers, explosives, and polymers. It is produced during the normal metabolism of amino acids and is converted to urea in the liver. In living systems, ammonia plays several important roles, serving as a source of nitrogen for plants and helping maintain acid/base balance in animals. Liquid ammonia is a strong ionizing solvent that can dissolve alkali metals to form colored, electrically conducting solutions. It is a gas at standard temperature and pressure, has a characteristic pungent odor, and is corrosive to some materials. Materials in their standard state (at 25 ☌, 100 kPa)Īmmonia is a chemical compound of nitrogen and hydrogen, with the formula NH 3. Except where noted otherwise, data are given for