Ammonium phosphate is the
inorganic compound
In chemistry, an inorganic compound is typically a chemical compound that lacks carbon–hydrogen bonds, that is, a compound that is not an organic compound. The study of inorganic compounds is a subfield of chemistry known as '' inorganic chemis ...
with the
formula
In science, a formula is a concise way of expressing information symbolically, as in a mathematical formula or a ''chemical formula''. The informal use of the term ''formula'' in science refers to the general construct of a relationship betwe ...
(NH
4)
3PO
4. It is the ammonium
salt
Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quant ...
of orthophosphoric acid. A related "double salt", (NH
4)
3PO
4.(NH
4)
2HPO
4 is also recognized but is impractical use. Both triammonium salts evolve ammonia. In contrast to the unstable nature of the triammonium salts, the
diammonium phosphate
Diammonium phosphate (DAP; IUPAC name diammonium hydrogen phosphate; chemical formula (NH4)2(HPO4) is one of a series of water- soluble ammonium phosphate salts that can be produced when ammonia reacts with phosphoric acid.
Solid diammonium ph ...
(NH
4)
2HPO
4 and
monoammonium salt (NH
4)H
2PO
4 are stable materials that are commonly used as fertilizers to provide plants with fixed nitrogen and phosphorus.
Preparation of triammonium phosphate
Triammonium phosphate can be prepared in the laboratory by treating 85% phosphoric acid with 30% ammonia solution:
:H
3PO
4 + 3 NH
3 → (NH
4)
3PO
4
(NH
4)
3PO
4 is a colorless, crystalline solid. The solid, which has the odor of ammonia, is readily soluble in water. The salt converts to diammonium hydrogen phosphate (NH
4)
2HPO
4.
See also
*
Ammonium polyphosphate
Ammonium polyphosphate is an inorganic salt of polyphosphoric acid and ammonia containing both chains and possibly branching. Its chemical formula is H4 PO3sub>n(OH)2 showing that each monomer consists of an orthophosphate radical of a phosphor ...
*
Monoammonium phosphate
Ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (ADP), also known as monoammonium phosphate (MAP) is a chemical compound with the chemical formula (NH4)(H2PO4). ADP is a major ingredient of agricultural fertilizers and some fire extinguishers. It also has si ...
*
Diammonium phosphate
Diammonium phosphate (DAP; IUPAC name diammonium hydrogen phosphate; chemical formula (NH4)2(HPO4) is one of a series of water- soluble ammonium phosphate salts that can be produced when ammonia reacts with phosphoric acid.
Solid diammonium ph ...
References
Phosphates
Ammonium compounds
Inorganic fertilizers
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