Ammonium chloride
Ammonium chloride is a widely used ingredient in cosmetics, personal care, and skincare formulations. Depending on its function, it may serve as a moisturizer, preservative, emulsifier, or active ingredient to enhance the overall effectiveness and performance of a product.
Ammonium chloride is an inorganic chemical compound with the chemical formula NH4Cl, also written as [NH4]Cl. It is an ammonium salt of hydrogen chloride. It consists of ammonium cations [NH4]+ and chloride anions Cl−. It is a white crystalline salt that is highly soluble in water. Solutions of ammonium chloride are mildly acidic. In its naturally occurring mineralogic form, it is known as salammoniac. The mineral is commonly formed on burning coal dumps from condensation of coal-derived gases. It is also found around some types of volcanic vents. It is mainly used as fertilizer and a flavouring agent in some types of liquorice. It is a product of the reaction of hydrochloric acid and ammonia.
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| Names | |
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| IUPAC name
Ammonium chloride
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Other names
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| Identifiers | |
3D model (JSmol)
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| ChEBI | |
| ChemSpider | |
| ECHA InfoCard | 100.031.976 |
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| KEGG | |
PubChem CID
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| RTECS number |
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| UNII | |
| UN number | 3077 |
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
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| Properties | |
| ClH4N | |
| Molar mass | 53.49 g·mol−1 |
| Appearance | White or colorless crystalline solid, hygroscopic |
| Odor | Odorless |
| Density | 1.519 g/cm3 |
| Melting point | 338 °C (640 °F) |
| Decomposes at 337.6 °C at 1 atm ΔdecompH | |
| 244 g/L (−15 °C) 294 g/L (0 °C) 383.0 g/L (25 °C) 454.4 g/L (40 °C) 740.8 g/L (100 °C) | |
Solubility product (Ksp)
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30.9 (395 g/L) |
| Solubility | Soluble in liquid ammonia, hydrazine, Slightly soluble in acetone Insoluble in diethyl ether, ethyl acetate |
| Solubility in methanol | 32 g/kg (17 °C) 33.5 g/kg (19 °C) 35.4 g/kg (25 °C) |
| Solubility in ethanol | 6 g/L (19 °C) |
| Solubility in glycerol | 97 g/kg |
| Solubility in sulfur dioxide | 0.09 g/kg (0 °C) 0.031 g/kg (25 °C) |
| Solubility in acetic acid | 0.67 g/kg (16.6 °C) |
| Vapor pressure | 133.3 Pa (160.4 °C) 6.5 kPa (250 °C) 33.5 kPa (300 °C) |
| Acidity (pKa) | 9.24 |
| -36.7·10−6 cm3/mol | |
Refractive index (nD)
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1.642 (20 °C) |
| Structure | |
| CsCl, cP2 | |
| Pm3m, No. 221 | |
a = 0.3876 nm
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Formula units (Z)
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1 |
| Thermochemistry | |
Heat capacity (C)
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84.1 J/mol·K |
Std molar
entropy (S⦵298) |
94.56 J/mol·K |
Std enthalpy of
formation (ΔfH⦵298) |
−314.43 kJ/mol |
Gibbs free energy (ΔfG⦵)
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−202.97 kJ/mol |
| Pharmacology | |
| B05XA04 (WHO) G04BA01 (WHO) | |
| Hazards | |
| GHS labelling: | |
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| Warning | |
| H302, H319 | |
| P305+P351+P338 | |
| NFPA 704 (fire diamond) | |
| Flash point | Non-flammable |
| Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC): | |
LD50 (median dose)
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1650 mg/kg (rats, oral) |
| NIOSH (US health exposure limits): | |
PEL (Permissible)
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none |
REL (Recommended)
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TWA 10 mg/m3 ST 20 mg/m3 (as fume) |
IDLH (Immediate danger)
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N.D. |
| Safety data sheet (SDS) | ICSC 1051 |
| Related compounds | |
Other anions
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Ammonium fluoride Ammonium bromide Ammonium iodide |
Other cations
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Sodium chloride Potassium chloride Hydroxylammonium chloride |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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