It is given with the chemical formula NH₄OH. In general, it is expressed as a solution of ammonia in water, which acts as a weak base.

Physical properties

Appearance: It generally carries an overall appearance of a colorless and clear liquid solution.

Odor: It carries a very pungent and sharp smell quite like ammonia. It is highly soluble in water and carries a basic solution.

pH of Ammonium Hydroxide solution: The pH of an ammonium hydroxide solution is generally found to be around 11-12, which represents its basic nature.

Boiling Point: Ammonium hydroxide boils at around 36 °C (97 °F) in concentrated solutions, but decomposes into ammonia and water above that temperature.

Density: The density of ammonium hydroxide solution depends upon concentration. With a common concentration, around 28-30% NH₃, it has around 0.9 g/cm³ density.

Freezing Point: The freezing point of concentrated ammonium hydroxide is around -15 °C (5 °F).

Chemical properties

Basicity: Ammonium hydroxide is a weak base so it can accept protons (H⁺) in solution. It partially ionizes in water to give ammonium (NH₄⁺) and hydroxide ions (OH⁻).

Chemical Reaction with Acids: The reaction of the ammonium hydroxide with acids forms salts and water. For example, with hydrochloric acid (HCl), an ammonium chloride (NH₄Cl) is formed:

Complexes: Ammonium hydroxide also forms complexes with some ions of metal. This type of reaction gives a bluish-colored complex which can be identified as copper(II) hydroxide.

Decomposition: Heated and under certain conditions, ammonium hydroxide decomposes to ammonia(NH₃) and water

Reaction with Metals: Ammonium hydroxide may react with some metals to evolve metal hydroxides and hydrogen gas.

Application

Cleaning Agents: The chemical is primarily used in most cleaning agents and liquid cleaning products that can be found in a house typically due to their grease-dissolving and grime-removing properties.

Fertilizer Preparation: This chemical is also used in fertilizer preparation due to the presence of usable nitrogen content for plant growth.

Food Processing: It is used for food processing as pH adjustment and might also comprise the production of some food additives.

Water treatment: It is used as a reagent in the process of extracting heavy metals and pH adjustment during water treatment.

Preparation: This ammonium hydroxide acts as an intermediate and prepares many chemicals, such as ammonium salts and drugs.

Dye and Textile Industry: It is used to dye them and for other treatments.

Analysis in Chemistry Laboratory: It is mainly used for titration as a reagent in many chemical reactions.

Conclusion

A very versatile chemical, ammonium hydroxide has thousands of uses in cleaning, agriculture, food processing, water treatments, and industrial manufacturing. It so happens that the compound possesses all those properties of a weak base and complexation agent, which are very useful in a practically very wide range of industries. However, it is not a compound to be taken lightly or without proper safety precautions because of its characteristic odor and hazards accompanying it. Altogether, ammonium hydroxide features widely in industrial processes and everyday products.

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