Production and Reactivity
Norgessalpeter was the first synthetic nitrogen fertilizer compound to be manufactured. Production began at Notodden, Norway in 1905 by the Birkeland–Eyde process. Most of the world's calcium nitrate is now made in Porsgrunn.
It is produced by treating limestone with nitric acid, followed by neutralization with ammonia:
- CaCO3 + 2 HNO3 → Ca(NO3)2 + CO2 + H2O
It is also a byproduct of the Odda Process for the extraction of calcium phosphate, what is the case for the production in Porsgrunn:
- Ca3(PO4)2 + 6 HNO3 + 12 H2O → 2 H3PO4 + 3 Ca(NO3)2 + 12 H2O
It can also be prepared from an aqueous solution of ammonium nitrate, and calcium hydroxide:
- 2 NH4NO3 + Ca(OH)2 → Ca(NO3)2 + 2 NH4OH
Like related alkaline earth metal nitrates (as well as LiNO3), calcium nitrate decomposes upon heating to release nitrogen dioxide:
- 2 Ca(NO3)2 → 2 CaO + 4 NO2 + O2 ΔH = 369 kJ/mol
Read more about this topic: Calcium Nitrate
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