Did you know that the word ‘ammonia’ has its roots in ancient Egypt? The name ‘ammonia’ comes from the Egyptian deity Amun (also spelled Ammon), who was among the most powerful gods in ancient Egyptian religion and often referred to as the King of the Gods.

The connection between Amun and ammonia stems from the fact that ammonia was first obtained by the ancient Egyptians and others through the distillation of camel dung. This process took place near the Temple of Amun in ancient Libya, where camel dung was abundant. The substance derived from these distillations was named after the deity worshipped at this temple. Ammonia was used for cleaning, preservation, and potentially for rituals and agricultural fertilization purposes. Sal ammoniac played an intriguing role in alchemy and early chemistry as it was observed that ammonia reacts with iron and several other metals.

In terms of chemical history, ammonia (NH₃) is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen. It is a colorless gas with a very distinct, pungent odor. It is highly soluble in water and is a vital substance in both the environment and industry, used extensively as a fertilizer and in various cleaning products. The natural formation of ammonia in the environment occurs through the decomposition of organic matter, and it is also industrially produced by the Haber-Bosch process, synthesizing it from nitrogen and hydrogen gases under high pressure and temperature.

Ammonia is pivotal in our lives: it is widely used as a fertilizer, in refrigeration, water purification, and many other applications. In metallurgy, it has been used for over a century in the heat treatment process known as gas nitriding. This thermochemical process hardens steels by diffusing nitrogen into their surfaces, creating a durable and wear-resistant layer. The process involves heating the steel in an ammonia atmosphere, where the high temperatures and the presence of steel cause the ammonia gas to break up into nitrogen and hydrogen. The nitrogen atoms subsequently react with the steel surface (iron and alloying elements) to form a robust nitrided layer that significantly boosts its hardness and resistance to wear.

Thus, while the term ammonia has ancient roots connected to the location where it was first produced, the modern understanding and use of ammonia are grounded in more recent scientific developments, especially in processes like nitriding.