Ammonium Carbonate

Author: Hans Lohninger

The commercial salt was formerly known as sal-volatile or salt of hartshorn (a mixture consisting of ammonium carbonate, ammonium hydrogencarbonate and ammonium carbamate) and was obtained by the dry distillation of nitrogenous organic matter such as hair, horn, decomposed urine, etc.

Ammonium carbonate can be produced by introducing CO₂ into an aqueous solution of Ammonia:

2 NH₃ + CO₂ + H₂O (NH₄)₂CO₃

or, by heating a mixture of ammonium sulfate and calcium carbonate:

(NH₄)₂SO₄ + CaCO₃ (NH₄)₂CO₃ + CaSO₄