The Haber Process Essays - Industrial Gases, Equilibrium Chemistry

The Haber Process 1. The Haber Process During the first decade of the twentieth century the world-wide demand for ammonia for use in fertilisers (in the form of nitrates) and in the production of explosives for use in mining and warfare could only be satisfied on a large scale from deposits of guano in Chile (2). Though this deposit was of huge size (approximately five feet thick and 385 kilometres long) it represented a rapidly depleting resource when compared to world-wide demand. As a result of this there was much research into how ammonia could be produced from atmospheric nitrogen. The problem was eventually solved by Fritz Haber (1868 - 1934) in a process which came to be known as the Haber Process or the Haber - Bosch Process. Haber developed a method for synthesising ammonia utilising atmospheric nitrogen and had established the conditions for large scale synthesis of ammonia by 1909 and the process was handed over to Carl Bosch for industrial development (1). the reaction is a simple equilibrium reaction which occurs in gaseous state as follows; N2 (g) + 3H2 (g) = 2NH3 (g) heat of enthalpy = -92.6 kJ/mol In predicting how to obtain the highest yield from this reaction we must refer to Le Chatlier's Principle. This states that for an equilibrium reaction the equilibrium will work in the opposite direction to the conditions forced upon it. The conditions most pertinent to the above reaction are temperature and pressure. The pressure exerted by any gas or mixture of gasses in an enclosed space is directly proportional to the number of atoms or molecules of gas regardless of their size or molecular mass. Reference to the above reaction shows that, as the reaction moves to the right the number of molecules and hence the pressure decreases. Therefore the reaction moving to the right (i.e. towards the product required) is favoured by an increase in pressure. With regard to temperature, the reaction moving to the right is exothermic i.e. it gives off energy (in the form of heat). Therefore reference to Le Chatlier's Principle shows that the reaction to the right is favoured by low temperatures. However, when Haber placed the reactants together under these conditions it was shown that the rate of reaction was so slow as to render the process unfeasible as an industrial process. This is because of an unusually high activation energy. The activation energy of a reaction is the energy required by the reactants to achieve an intermediate state required before they form the products. In the case of the above reaction the intermediate state requires the dissociation of diatomic gaseous nitrogen. The triple bond found between two nitrogen atoms when they form diatomic nitrogen is amongst the strongest chemical bonds known. this leads to an extremely high activation energy. At extremely high temperature the nitrogen molecule will dissociate and so, as the temperature approaches this point the rate at which the reaction to the right occurs and therefore the speed with which equilibrium is reached increases rapidly. Unfortunately experimentation showed that, as temperature approached the point at which the speed of the reaction was sufficient to produce a viable reaction the amount of ammonia produced was so low that the reaction was still unfeasible on as an industrial process. Faced with this failure to find conditions suitable for an industrial process Haber began to experiment to find a catalyst that would facilitate the reaction. A catalyst is a substance that reduces the activation energy of a reaction, thus increasing the speed at which the reaction occurs, or in the case of equilibrium reactions the speed at which equilibrium is reached. After hundreds of experiments Haber discovered that a fast enough reaction with a high enough yield of ammonia would occur with a pressure between 200 and 400 atmospheres and at a temperature between 670K and 920K in the presence of a catalyst of iron (in the form of iron filings to increase its active surface area) plus a few percent of oxides of potassium and aluminium. This process was first demonstrated in 1909 and patented as the Haber Process in 1910 (3). Experiments aimed at finding the most efficient conditions for the reaction have since resulted in the process described by the flow diagram

Implementing Affirmative Action

Implementing Affirmative Action Free Online Research Papers Affirmative Action (AA) should be greatly considered within the workplace in order to safeguard the employees. It is important for a business to establish order and provide a positive workplace for its employees. In an effort to ensure equal opportunity for all employees it is my recommendation to the Board of Director’s that an affirmative action policy is fully implemented. The affirmative action policy should establish specific mandates that would guard against discrimination of any and all employees within the workplace. The policy would enforce that employees not be discriminated against based upon their race, sex, orientation, veteran status, disability, religion, and national origin. The policy of affirmative action should also meet the terms with all equal opportunity laws and regulations. It is important that an industry such as this one implements guidelines that will protect its employees from unforeseen situations in the workplace such as sexual harassment and disc rimination. It will be the duty of the managers to make sure that the mandates that have been put in place are in fact enforced by each and every employee. The establishment of these types of rules will allow for a better workplace for the employees and will also possibly protect the business itself. This essay will provide reasonable evidence as to why the Board of Director’s should consider having affirmative action policies implemented. Affirmative action is aimed at leveling the playing field for minorities to obtain jobs. Despite the past controversy associated with the indecency of the workplace towards minorities, it is crucial that this company understands that the past can in fact repeat itself. It is necessary for companies to implement job requirements of different minorities in order for the company to prevent from having legal issues. There are several companies that seem to have one distinct minority working for their company; however, if someone of a different minority decided that they were interested in working for that same company and get denied a position, that person would have the right to have the company investigated because of possible discrimination. Discrimination is not only a factor of affirmative action, but it also plays a distinct role in the regulations of the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO). Equal Employment Opportunity is the legalized topic that protects individuals within the workforce from people who feel that they are going through situations at their employment based upon being discriminated against. The types of discrimination that individuals in the workplace could possibly go through would include discrimination against their gender, age, race, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, disability, and even their position within the workplace. Although affirmative action and equal employment opportunity have two different meanings, they both share the same importance. For example, an African American male can go into a company and apply for a position that he is well qualified for, the hiring manager of the company decides that does not feel that the candidate is fit for the position and is turned away. At that moment, if the African American male reasonably feels that he is being discriminated against based upon his race or even his gender then he could possibly have a case against the company. This type of scenario consists of not only affirmative action based upon the minority of the applicant, but it is also relate to equal employment opportunity because he feels that he was turned away based upon his race. Many companies do not realize the consequences that they face when an employee feels that they are being discriminated against or even harassed within the workplace. Not only can it lead to the company having to pay out thousands or even millions of dollars, but it can also damage the credibility of the company to its consumers and clients. It is important that this company as well as many others implement strategies in which they are able to educate their employees about the importance of equal employment opportunity as well as affirmative action. Companies should also post up information in regards to harassment within the workplace or even discrimination so that if an employee is having a problem then the company can try to resolve it themselves before the situation escalates to a more legal issue that is taken to court. This type of implementation will greatly protect the company from lawsuits as well as its credibility. Many companies feel that implementing affirmative action is not crucial to their company because of the fact that their company is diverse and they do not have those types of issues within their workplace whereas people are being discriminated against. Unfortunately, the fact that the company is diverse makes no difference in the types of people that it employs. For example, Wal-Mart is considered to be a very diverse company; however, they are the largest industry facing lawsuits due to discrimination against women employees, African American truck drivers; and numerous of other cases involving discrimination within the workplace. This proves that regardless of the type of company, implementing protection against discrimination in the workplace could possibly be beneficial to companies. In conclusion, I have detailed pertinent information in regards to why this company should consider implementing affirmative action within the workplace. I have addressed the importance of how the company can benefit from the implementation as well as protect its money, credibility, and most of all its employees, from being illegally discriminated against. I certainly believe that this company as well as many others will greatly benefit from implementing the affirmative action policy. References Axia College of University of Phoenix. (2008). Equal Employment Opportunity and Resource Management. Retrieved October 17, 2008, from Axia College, Week One reading, aXcess, HRM 240 - Human Resources Management Web site. Wal-Mart Watch (n.d.) WalMart Watch: Issues|Discrimination. Retrieved October 18, 2008, from http://walmartwatch.com/issues/discrimination/ Research Papers on Implementing Affirmative ActionMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesTwilight of the UAWTrailblazing by Eric AndersonAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaRelationship between Media Coverage and Social and19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraResearch Process Part OnePETSTEL analysis of IndiaComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm X

Reflective journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Reflective journal - Essay Example When joining Construction and engineering, the majority of students come with varying opinions regarding the course but what matters at the end is how each is able to transform the ideas into realistic arguments that can revolutionize the world. Reflective writing in this course equips one with an opportunity to evaluate not only the concepts learned but also on the intensity of intellectual growth and come up with sources of supplementary information. Engineering is course that actively engages the students and challenges them to be imaginative, and have numerous outlooks. Engineering is among the greatest powers of civilization. This journal focuses on the reflecting on aspects of construction and engineering. Course Content and Relevance Competency Element Claimed Introduction to Engineering The first topic â€Å"Introduction to Engineering† was on the basic concepts relating to engineering. Engineering cuts across several subjects and is therefore a mixture of art, science , math, social work. Concepts such as definition of Engineering, its significance, a historic background, achievement that have been made in the field of engineering, disasters in the field, and other basic but fundamental aspects of engineering are covered. The definition to engineering varies, the traditional one focuses on harnessing of forces of nature to enhance human lives (Moaveni& Sharma, 2011). Engineering has passed through several generations with several modifications and refinements evolving at every stage. The strong foundation Engineering has lies in the impressive way in which technological concepts were preserved, developed, and passed from generation to the next. The splendor of it all is that the contributions made by engineers stand out to be seen and celebrated or at times condemned by the world. Accomplishments of the early engineers include construction of the admired Egyptian pyramids, irrigation schemes in Mesopotamia, building of the Great Wall of China as well as a number of structures in the Roman empires. Throughout history, Engineering has played a major role in entirely all fields by providing, operating, supervising and maintaining both infrastructure and technological progressions (Moaveni& Sharma, 2011). Activities of engineers include construction of wastewater treatment and sewerage systems, manufacture and running of factories, power plants as well as the machineries used, building weapons, computers, robots, refining of resources such as metal as well as in the telecommunication. These are just a few of the activities carried out or maintained by engineers, however, the list is extensive as they are in almost every field. Engineering is a broad subject, and can be categorized into civil, environmental, chemical, aeronautical, biomedical, aeronautical, and electronic and software engineering. The field of engineering is ever growing and areas such as mining and mechatronic engineering are categorized on their own, or incorp orated in other categories. Breathtaking breakthroughs such as the launching of space rocket, unraveling of universe anonymity, designing and construction of structure never foreseen instills a sense of delight and yearning in a student aspiring to be an engineer. Professional engineer works in a society characterized by complex ethical and environmental issues, which cannot be overlooked even when adopting a