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Where do you get ammonium nitrate?

November 22, 2025 - By 

Ammonium nitrate is made by reaction of ammonia with nitric acid in water followed by careful evaporation of the water. Ammonia is most often prepared from atmospheric nitrogen, while nitric acid is prepared from the combustion of ammonia, and so ammonium nitrate is most conveniently manufactured where ammonia is made.

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Can you buy ammonia nitrate?

You can buy ammonium nitrate as a pure chemical or you can collect it from instant cold packs or some fertilizers.

Can you buy ammonium nitrate at a store?

But in the US, you can buy ammonium nitrate on Amazon, at gardening stores, or from agricultural suppliers. The US Department of Homeland Security is required to “regulate the sale and transfer of ammonium nitrate by an ammonium nitrate facility” to prevent people from using it for terrorism.

Where is ammonium nitrate found in nature?

It was once mined as a natural mineral (niter) in the deserts of Chile, but it is no longer available except as a man-made compound. Because ammonium nitrate may be misused, it has been phased out in many countries.

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How do you make ammonia nitrate at home?

First, ammonium nitrate solution is prepared by reacting preheated ammonia with nitric acid in a neutralizer. The heat of reaction is utilized for evaporation and 80–83% ammonium nitrate solution is obtained. This concentrated solution is further concentrated to obtain 92–94% solution in a vacuum concentrator.

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Is ammonium nitrate still available?

Ammonium nitrate was the first solid nitrogen (N) fertilizer produced on a large scale, but its popularity has declined in recent years. It's been a common N source because it contains both nitrate and ammonium, and it has a relatively high nutrient content.

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How is ammonium nitrate made?

Ammonium nitrate is made by reaction of ammonia with nitric acid in water followed by careful evaporation of the water. Ammonia is most often prepared from atmospheric nitrogen, while nitric acid is prepared from the combustion of ammonia, and so ammonium nitrate is most conveniently manufactured where ammonia is made.

How do you get ammonium nitrate from fertilizer?

Ammonium nitrate is very soluble in water and can be separated from calcium carbonate, which is not soluble, by dissolving the fertilizer in hot water and decanting the concentrated ammonium nitrate solution.

Is ammonium nitrate an explosive?

“Ammonium nitrate is a major industrial chemical with two principal uses – as fertiliser and as an explosive.

Is ammonium nitrate illegal in the US?

Ammonium nitrate is not a controlled substance, though it is not prepared for consumer use, explained Mathers.

How much does ammonium nitrate cost?

Ammonium nitrate contains 35% N and costs $550 per ton.

Why is ammonium nitrate banned?

Some other jurisdictions have bans on fertilizer-grade ammonium nitrate because of its potential use in bomb-making. Those countries include Afghanistan, Colombia, Denmark, the Philippines, parts of Pakistan, China and Algeria.

How do we get ammonia?

Water and air are all you need to make ammonia—one of world's most important chemicals. Researchers have developed a method to produce ammonia simply from air and water. Not only is it more energy efficient than the century-old Haber-Bosch process currently in use all over the world, but it is also greener.

How do you make urea nitrate?

Urea nitrate is produced in one step by reaction of urea with nitric acid. This is an exothermic reaction, so steps must be taken to control the temperature. Urea nitrate explosions may be initiated using a blasting cap.

How do you make ammonia?

CO + 3 H2 → CH4 + H2O. To produce the desired end-product ammonia, the hydrogen is then catalytically reacted with nitrogen (derived from process air) to form anhydrous liquid ammonia. This step is known as the ammonia synthesis loop (also referred to as the Haber-Bosch process): 3 H2 + N2 → 2 NH.

What happens when ammonium nitrate is mixed with water?

What happens when you mix water and ammonium nitrate? It feels cold when ammonium nitrate is dissolved in water which indicates an endothermic reaction. In an endothermic reaction, the ammonium nitrate dissolves in water, a chemical reaction that absorbs heat rather than releases it.

How do you make ammonium phosphate?

Triammonium phosphate can be prepared in the laboratory by treating 85% phosphoric acid with 30% ammonia solution: H3PO4 + 3 NH3 → (NH4)3PO. (NH4)3PO4 is a colorless, crystalline solid. The solid, which has the odor of ammonia, is readily soluble in water.

Which fertilizers contain ammonium nitrate?

The different types of ammonium nitrate fertiliser are: Straight ammonium nitrate fertiliser, which contains ammonium nitrate to provide the essential element nitrogen, although it may also contain fillers such as ground limestone, calcium sulphate, ground dolomite, magnesium sulphate or kieserite.

What is one of the most common uses for ammonium nitrate?

Uses. Ammonium nitrate is used commonly in fertilizers; in pyrotechniques, herbicides, and insecticides; and in the manufacture of nitrous oxide. It is used as an absorbent for nitrogen oxides, an ingredient of freezing mixtures, an oxidizer in rocket propellants, and a nutrient for yeast and antibiotics.

What temperature does ammonium nitrate explode?

Ammonium nitrate would only explode on its own if its temperature was rapidly raised to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Compared to most combustible materials, ammonium nitrate itself is not exceptionally explosive. But the compound can contribute to explosions because it belongs to a chemical class known as oxidizers.

How is ammonium nitrate used as an explosive?

* A large quantity of ammonium nitrate exposed to intense heat can trigger an explosion. Storing the chemical near large fuel tanks, in bulk in large quantities and in a poorly-ventilated facility could cause a massive blast. The larger the quantity, the more risk it will detonate.

Who invented ammonium nitrate?

Nitrogen makes up 78% of the atmosphere and is chemically and biologically inert. However, in 1908 the chemist Fritz Haber discovered that nitrogen could be fixed chemically as ammonium nitrate.

What are two chemicals that explode when mixed?

Peroxides (inorganic), when mixed with combustible materials, barium, sodium, and potassium, form explosives that ignite easily. Phosphorus (P), both red and white, forms explosive mixtures with oxidizing agents. White (also called yellow) P should be stored under water, in glass, because it is pyrophoric.

Where is ammonia made?

While most of the global production of ammonia is based on steam reforming of natural gas, significant quantities are produced by coal gasification; most of the gasification plants are located in China.