Role of a Chemist in the Haber Process

Almost everything in our world has some of their origins from chemicals, scientists in the chemical industries are always working to find ways to make these chemicals useful to us, they bring improvements into daily use substances like paints, medicines, cosmetics and plastics, so that they are more environmentally sustainable, and efficient.

Scientists employed in the chemical industry trained and specialising in chemistry are called chemists. A chemist can gain expertise in a range of chemistry fields such as analytical chemistry, biochemistry, inorganic, medicinal, organic, physical, theoretical and environmental chemistry.

There is a large variety of chemical jobs available to practicing scientists in the chemical industry including in the

• Manufacture of inorganic and organic chemicals such as ammonia, various acids, solvents, detergents, dyes and pesticides A chemist employed in the

• Petrochemical industry will monitor and control the production of petrol and oil

• Chemists are also employed in Pharmaceutical’s industry in the production of medicines, cosmetics and toiletries

• Plastics industries also rely heavily on chemists in processes such as production and development of new products.

• Chemists are involved in process for the extraction of metals in the Mineral/mining industry.

• In the Food industry chemists monitor processes such as production and packaging of foods to insure standards expected by the consumers are being met.

• And a large number of chemists work as Chemical Engineers which involves the design, operation and enhancement of industrial chemical procedures.

Jobs in the chemical industry are often classed as process control, quality control, environmental quality, technical sales and services, or research and development.

A chemical engineer in an ammonia plant, specialising in process control, will have to monitor and manage the Haber process. Their main jobs include monitoring the production line, ensuring safety, efficiency and environmentally friendly operation of all equipment. Over the years technology and understanding have had a major impact on the production of ammonia and extraction of nitrogen; prior to this the only major source of nitrates was from huge guano deposit located along the coast of Chile. During the WW1 German chemist Fritz Haber, developed a very advanced technology, which took molecular nitrogen from the air and combined it with molecular hydrogen to form ammonia gas (NH3), essential for explosives. It is evident that the situation the world was exposed to during that time completely changed the ideas of chemistry in production of ammonia, with Haber’s advanced ideas and equally advanced technology the world saw an entire transformation in the ammonia industry. Changing ideas and understanding have had an immense amount of impact on the way the ammonia production process works. The heat and reactants are now recycled to reduce wastage and pollution, catalysts are used to make the reaction faster to conserve energy and increase efficiency. In the Haber process the engineer will need to insure industrial conditions are adjusted to get the maximum possible output by using minimal amount of resources and time. He or she ensures that the reactants (hydrogen and nitrogen) enter the system in the correct ratios 3:1 this can be done using gas solid chromatography, in which the mixture of gas is passed through a thin column lined with a solid, the two reactants adsorb onto this solid, to different extents, therefore coming out of column at different rates, thus allowing the detector at the end to measure the amount of each substance present.. The process control engineer will have to monitor impurities like oxygen and carbon dioxide make sure the reactor stays at a temperature of between 450 – 500 degrees and pressure at a stable level of 200 atmospheres, they will also examine the state of the catalyst, as even the slightest of changes in the optimum level can destroy the catalyst, slow down processes and cause explosions. They will do this using automatic sensor. This engineer will further have to make sure the ammonia