Ammonium phosphate is the

inorganic compound In chemistry, an inorganic compound is typically a chemical compound that lacks carbon–hydrogen bonds, that is, a compound that is not an organic compound. The study of inorganic compounds is a subfield of chemistry known as '' inorganic chemi ...

with the formula (NH₄)₃PO₄. It is the ammonium

salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quanti ...

of orthophosphoric acid. A related "double salt", (NH₄)₃PO₄^.(NH₄)₂HPO₄ is also recognized but is impractical use. Both triammonium salts evolve ammonia. In contrast to the unstable nature of the triammonium salts, the diammonium phosphate (NH₄)₂HPO₄ and monoammonium salt (NH₄)H₂PO₄ are stable materials that are commonly used as fertilizers to provide plants with fixed nitrogen and phosphorus.

Preparation of triammonium phosphate

Triammonium phosphate can be prepared in the laboratory by treating 85% phosphoric acid with 30% ammonia solution: :H₃PO₄ + 3 NH₃ → (NH₄)₃PO₄ (NH₄)₃PO₄ is a colorless, crystalline solid. The solid, which has the odor of ammonia, is readily soluble in water. The salt converts to diammonium hydrogen phosphate (NH₄)₂HPO₄.

References

Phosphates Ammonium compounds Inorganic fertilizers {{inorganic-compound-stub

Preparation of triammonium phosphate

See also

References