|
Nitrogen Dioxide - Definition and Overview |
| Related Words: Ammonia, Argon, Butane, Chlorine, Compost, Dressing, Dung, Ethane, Ether, Ethylene, Fertilizer, Fluorine, Formaldehyde, Guano, Helium, Hydrogen, Krypton, Lewisite, Manure |
|
|
Properties
||
|
General
|
| Name |
Nitrogen dioxide |
| Chemical formula |
NO2 |
| Appearance |
brown/orange gas |
|
Physical
|
| Formula weight |
46.01 amu |
| Melting point |
(exists as Nitrogen_tetroxide)
262.0 K, -11.2 °C, 11.8 °F |
| Boiling point |
(exists as Nitrogen_tetroxide)
295.0 K, 21.1 °C, 70 °F |
| Density |
1.58 (air = 1) |
| Specific gravity |
1.4494 at 20°C |
| Crystal structure |
|
| Vapor pressure |
400 mmHg at 80°C |
| Solubility |
Reacts with water |
|
Thermochemistry
|
| ΔfH0gas |
? kJ/mol |
| ΔfH0liquid |
? kJ/mol |
| ΔfH0solid |
? kJ/mol |
| S0gas, 1 bar |
? J/mol·K |
| S0liquid, 1 bar |
? J/mol·K |
| S0solid |
? J/mol·K |
| Heat of vaporization |
9.110 kcal/mole |
|
Safety
|
| Ingestion |
|
| Inhalation |
Deadly poison! Insidious. Can cause lung edema or death after several days delay. 100 ppm dangerous, 200 ppm may be lethal for short exposures. |
| Skin |
|
| Eyes |
|
| More info |
Odor threshold: 2.0 mg/m³ |
|
SI units were used where possible. Unless otherwise stated, standard conditions were used.
Disclaimer and references
</font>
|
</table>
</table>
The chemical compound nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is a red or orange/brown gas with a characteristic sharp, biting odor. It is considered an insidious deadly poison by inhalation.
Nitric oxide (NO) spontaneously produces the dioxide when exposed to air:
- 2 NO + O2 → 2NO2
It is also generated by various nitric acid reactions, e.g. when metals, such as copper or silver, are exposed to nitric acid.
It reacts readily with water, even at normal temperature and pressure, where it disproportionates to nitric and nitrous acid. That reaction is used in the Ostwald process, which in turn allows the industrial production of fertilizers and explosives.
Red fuming nitric acid has a certain percentage of dissolved nitrogen dioxide, hence its red color.
Nitrogen dioxide is in constant equilibrium with Nitrogen tetroxide
2NO2 <-> N2O4
This reaction is pushed towards Nitrogen tetroxide as temperatures go down. Nitrogen dioxide rarely exists as a liquid or solid because almost all of it will be converted to Nitrogen tetroxide.
NO 2 pollution levels in Europe.
|
|
|
|
