Which industrial process is used to produce nitric acid?

Which industrial process is used to produce nitric acid?

• A. Ostwald process
• B. Haber process
• C. Contact process
• D. Solvay process

Answer: (A)

Nitric acid is produced industrially by oxidizing ammonia in what’s called the Ostwald process. In this method, ammonia is first burned over a platinum–rhodium catalyst at high temperature to form nitric oxide. The NO is then oxidized in air to nitrogen dioxide. NO2 is absorbed into water, where it partly forms nitric acid, and the process is designed to recycle unreacted gases to maximize yield. The dilute nitric acid that’s produced is then concentrated to the desired strength. This approach is specifically tailored for making nitric acid on an industrial scale, which is why it’s the process used for this purpose. The other options correspond to different chemicals: the Haber process makes ammonia itself, not nitric acid; the Contact process makes sulfuric acid; and the Solvay process makes sodium carbonate.

Nitric acid is produced industrially by oxidizing ammonia in what’s called the Ostwald process. In this method, ammonia is first burned over a platinum–rhodium catalyst at high temperature to form nitric oxide. The NO is then oxidized in air to nitrogen dioxide. NO2 is absorbed into water, where it partly forms nitric acid, and the process is designed to recycle unreacted gases to maximize yield. The dilute nitric acid that’s produced is then concentrated to the desired strength. This approach is specifically tailored for making nitric acid on an industrial scale, which is why it’s the process used for this purpose.

The other options correspond to different chemicals: the Haber process makes ammonia itself, not nitric acid; the Contact process makes sulfuric acid; and the Solvay process makes sodium carbonate.