Alva Review-Courier -

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

(THE CONVERSATION) Ammonia, with its unmistakable urinous odor, is a critical ingredient in agricultural fertilizers. With more than 145 million tonnes manufactured annually, only sulfuric acid outranks it as the world’s most produced chemicals. Manufacturing this simple molecule, made from just four atoms – one nitrogen and three hydrogen – is, however, surprisingly difficult and one of the most energy-intensive manufacturing processes on the planet, consuming 3 to 5 percent of th...