Nomenclature
CAS number: 1066-33-7
Carbonic acid ammonium salt (1:1); acid ammonium carbonate; ammonium hydrogen carbonate.
CH
5NO
3; mol wt 79.06.
C 15.19%, H 6.37%, N 17.72%, O 60.71%.
NH
4HCO
3.
Description and references
Occurs in the urine of alligators: Coulson, Hernandez, Proc. Soc.
Exp. Biol. Med. 88, 682 (1955). Usually prepd by passing an excess of carbon dioxide through concd
ammonia water. Manuf: GB 304872 (1927 to I.G. Farben.); Brooks, GB 742386 (1955 to I.C.I.). See also Ammonium Carbonate.
Properties
Shiny, hard, colorless or white prisms or crystalline
mass. Faint odor of ammonia. Comparatively stable at room temp.
Volatile with decompn at about 60°. The white fumes given off consist
of NH3 21.5%, CO2 55.7%, H2O vapor
22.8%. Rate of decompn increases as temp rises. mp 107.5° (very rapid heating).
Soly in water: 14% (10°); 17.4% (20°); 21.3% (30°). Decomposed by
hot water. One gram dissolves in 10 ml glycerol (pharmaceutical grade).
pH of 0.1N soln in water at 25° = 7.8. Insol in alcohol
and acetone. Negative heat of solution.Pharmaceutical Incompat: Acids, caustic
alkalies.
Use
In baking powder formulations; in cooling baths
(one kg dissolved in 5 liters H
2O at 17° lowers it to 7°);
in fire extinguishers; manuf porous plastics, ceramics; manuf dyes,
pigments; in compost heaps to accelerate decompn; as fertilizer; for
defatting textiles; in cold wave solns; in chrome leather tanning;
to remove gypsum from heat exchanges and other processing equipment.
Therapeutic Category
Expectorant.
Therapeutic Category (Veterinary)
Expectorant. Used in bloat, colic.
Keywords
Expectorant