Ammonium nitrate reacts with metal hydroxides, releasing ammonia and forming alkali metal nitrate:
NH4NO3 + NaOH → NH3 + H2O + NaNO3
NH4NO3 + KOH → NH3 + H2O + KNO3
Ammonium nitrate gives ammonium chloride and nitric acid upon reaction with hydrochloric acid:
NH4NO3 + HCl → NH4Cl + HNO3
Ammonium nitrate leaves no residue when heated:
NH4NO3 Δ→ N2O + 2H2O
Ammonium nitrate is also formed in the atmosphere from emissions of NO, SO2 and NH3 and is a secondary component of PM10.[14]
Now how to achieve the equation for the thermal decomposition of ammonium nitrate?
NH4NO3(aq) ---> N2O(g) + 2H2O(l)
Since nitrous has a positive heat of formation, it will go to the elements, if formed at all.
2N2O(g)---> 2N2(g) +O2(g)
Net is 2NH4NO3 ---> 2N2(g) + 4H2O(l)+ O2(g)
I propose to calculate a temperature of combustion for ammonium nitrate! If pyrolysis is the best method for thermal degradation of this hydrogen containing fuel, which includes enough oxygen in its chemical formula, so after an estimation of the temperature for equality of enthalpies sums of the educts and the products we'll be able to conclude about the real results of the last reaction. Because if the transformation temperature should be so high that we’d expect the decomposition of N2 and O2 too.
I mean that we should remember about the high temperature formation of nitrogen oxides!
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