Haber process

• The Haber process is the industrial process for the manufacture of ammonia from hydrogen and nitrogen
• Hydrogen for the Haber process is obtained from the reaction of methane and steam, producing carbon monoxide as a byproduct
• The gases involved in the Haber process, hydrogen and nitrogen, are compressed and delivered to the reactor where ammonia is produced
• Unused hydrogen and nitrogen in the Haber process are recycled back to the reactor
• The Haber process uses the Chatelier's principle to maximize ammonia production while considering operating and production costs
• Increasing pressure in the Haber process favors the side with fewer moles, which in this case is the production of ammonia
• The Haber process is conducted at a compromised pressure of 200 atmospheres
• The best temperature conditions to maximize ammonia production in the Haber process are 400 to 450 degrees Celsius
• If a low temperature were used in the Haber process, the rate of reaction would be very slow, although the exothermic reaction would be favored
• The yield of the Haber process is 10 to 20 percent
• An iron catalyst is used in the Haber process to increase the rate at which equilibrium is reached