E2658-NH3-E
Rev 29.06.2021
Ammonia
A colorless gas, highly soluble in water, with a characteristic pungent smell.
Ammonia is a large-scale production of the chemical industry widely used as a raw
material for the production of fertilizers and explosives, as a refrigerant, as a cleaning and
antimicrobial agent.
Ammonia is also produced naturally from the decomposition of organic matter, including
plants and animals.
Chemical formula
NH
3
Molar weight
17
Relative gas density (to air)
0.59
Conversion
1 ppm = 0.70 mg/m
3
Boiling point
-33.3 °C
Low explosive limit (LEL), % vol. in air
15
Upper explosive limit (UEL), % vol. in air
28
Odor
Characteristic pungent smell
Odor detection threshold
0.04 ppm ...57 ppm according to different studies
Hazards
Ammonia is irritant to the skin, eyes, and respiratory
tract. Ammonia inhalation causes breathing difficulties
(wheezing).High concentrations may lead to pulmonary
edema.
Exposure limits
(Directive 2000/39/EC)
TWA
14 mg/m
3
/ 20 ppm
STEL
36 mg/m
3
/ 50 ppm
Conversion of ppm to mg/m
3
is calculated for 25°C and 1 atm.
3
