This simulation calculates the number of moles at equilibrium for the reversible, exothermic reaction that synthesizes ammonia (NH3) from hydrogen (H2) and nitrogen (N2), known as the Haber process. This reaction typically takes place near 200 bar and 675 to 725 K. The system starts with 1 mol NH3 and goes to equilibrium. Use sliders to add additional moles of N2, H2, and NH3. Vary pressure and temperature with sliders. Because 4 mol of reactants form 2 mol of product, raising the pressure shifts equilibrium toward products. Gases are assumed ideal, but at the high pressures used for this reaction, significant deviation from ideal behavior is likely.
This simulation was created in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, at University of Colorado Boulder for LearnChemE.com by Neil Hendren, Vladislav Denisenkov, and Abijith Trichur Ramachandran under the direction of Professor John L. Falconer. It is a JavaScript/HTML5 implementation of a Wolfram Demonstration by Benjamin L. Kee and Rachael L. Baumann. This simulation was prepared with financial support from the National Science Foundation (DUE 2336987 and 2336988) in collaboration with Washington State University. Address any questions or comments to LearnChemE@gmail.com. All of our simulations are open source, and are available on our LearnChemE Github repository.