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The additive “ammonium chloride” is well known to most consumers, since the word “ammonia” is periodically used in everyday life and does not raise questions. However, ammonia E510 is not ammonia, which is used to revive people who have lost consciousness. Ammonia is nothing more than a solution of ammonium hydroxide with water.
Ammonium chloride, although classified as a food additive E510, is not particularly popular among food manufacturers, and is rarely found in food. However, this remark is not entirely true for the countries of the European Union – there ammonium chloride can be found in some popular foods and treats. In the chemical and food industry, the substance is also called ammonium hydrochloride or ammonium salt.
Chemical characteristics, technologies for obtaining a substance
The additive, although synthesized artificially for industrial purposes, is also common in wildlife. For the first time, the inhabitants of ancient Egypt and Greece encountered it: the Egyptians discovered a white crystalline coating of ammonium chloride on the walls of caves in rocks, and later the Greeks began to extract it from the soot that formed inside the chimneys. Dried camel droppings served as fuel at that time.
And today the substance is found in the form of plaque and crusts on rocks, near volcanic hills and in crevices of the earth’s crust. In addition, ammonium salt is one of the decay products of animal excrement.
In appearance, the additive is a white powder, consisting of small crystals. It is the powder form of the substance that has no smell, it tastes slightly salty and leaves a feeling of coolness in the mouth. Ammonium chloride has a high solubility in liquid ammonia, ethyl and methyl alcohol, as well as in water, and is especially soluble in warm or hot water. The aqueous solution obtained in this way just has that specific pungent smell, well known to everyone who has ever lost consciousness. In addition, the substance is subject to reactions with alkalis.
Sometimes ammonium salt is also found in the form of large crystals, but for the convenience of industrial use, it is still crushed into powder.
The melting point of the E510 additive is 337,6 degrees Celsius, at a temperature of 338 degrees and above, decomposition occurs. When ignited, the powdered additive emits thick white smoke.
There are several ways to synthesize ammonium chloride. Under laboratory conditions, production occurs by reacting ammonia with chlorine. For industrial purposes, the substance is obtained as a result of several stages:
- carbon dioxide is passed through a solution of ammonia and sodium chloride;
- sodium bicarbonate is separated from the resulting mixture;
- the mother liquor remaining after separation is evaporated.
Some “craftsmen” get ammonium chloride at home, using ordinary salt batteries for this.
As a food additive, the substance is most often used as an emulsifier and thickener: it can be used to create homogeneous mixtures of components that do not mix under normal conditions, as well as improve the consistency of the product and regulate its viscosity.
Using the properties of ammonium salt in industry
Ammonium chloride is not the most popular food additive, however, it is still used to prepare some types of food. It is added to flour and dough to improve their texture and make it uniform. In addition, E510 can be found in the following foods and drinks:
- macaroni products;
- confectionery products;
- fruit and berry wines;
- yeast.
The Scandinavian countries use the properties of the additive to make licorice sweets (this, by the way, is one of the reasons why they should not be carried away – if you overeat licorice, nausea and vomiting can occur precisely because of ammonium chloride). In Norway, the substance is known as a seasoning for various dishes.
Various areas of production, in addition to food, also use ammonium salt:
- in metallurgy for pickling metals;
- to protect wood from parasites in the field of woodworking;
- as a reagent for experiments in the chemical industry;
- the pharmaceutical industry for the production of certain drugs;
- to remove the oxide film during the soldering process when assembling radio equipment;
- in the pyrotechnic industry as a smoke generator;
- as a nitrogen fertilizer for agriculture;
- as a fixer for photographs during the photo printing process.
Winemakers use the powder form of the additive as a top dressing for the yeasty environment of ripening wines. Only 0,3 grams of solution per 1 liter of drink is added no more than once a month so that the wine can ferment to the desired state.
Technical ammonium salt, which is sold in pharmacies, can also be useful in everyday life: its solution removes dirt well from clothes, furniture, jewelry, utensils and household appliances.
The impact of the substance on humans
The most famous property of ammonium salt is stimulating. In case of loss of consciousness, the inhaled vapors of a solution of a substance can have a strong stimulating effect on the respiratory centers and bring a person to life.
In addition, the supplement has a diuretic property and can be used to combat swelling and fluid retention. In this case, it is prescribed to take a weak solution of the substance in very small quantities. The supplement is absorbed by the body from the digestive tract and excreted by the kidneys along with all excess fluid. For those who have a history of kidney disease, taking the substance is strictly prohibited.
Also, ammonium chloride has an expectorant effect in case of severe cough caused by chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma or pneumonia.
Inhalation of a large amount of vapors of the E510 additive is extremely dangerous, as it can cause burns to the respiratory tract and stop breathing. An overdose of ammonium salt solution causes unpleasant symptoms of poisoning: nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite.
In some states, the use of this dietary supplement is prohibited. In Russia, Ukraine and many countries of the European Union, there are no strict restrictions on its use.
There is unconfirmed information that during the heat treatment process, ammonium chloride becomes toxic and dangerous to humans. No official evidence has yet been released. Also, science does not have confirmed data on the possible mutagenicity or oncogenicity of a substance.
Ammonium chloride in the form of powder or solution is used in many industries. For a person, this substance does not pose a serious danger if certain elementary requirements of caution are observed, it is easily absorbed and excreted from the body without causing significant harm to it. The famous licorice sweets, as well as flour products, pasta, sweets and fruit wine – in these products you can encounter the food additive E510.