Fixed nitrogen has proven to be an invaluable asset to nations around the world, regardless of whether this asset was used during wartime or peacetime. In order to produce fixed nitrogen, one must also produce the oxides of nitrogen. So far there has been no viable solution to the problem of the technical utilization of nitrous gases due to dilution from air. There has been a continuous stream of patents in relation to this process over the past 100 years or so, all attempting to find a viable solution therein. The process that has been used for some time involves is to use water to absorb the nitrous gases and through dilution of these gases you create nitric acid. This acid is then converted into solid nitrates.

Nitrous gases in the United Kingdom are often produced as a by-product and as a result of lack of extensive research into the chemical process of absorption, the absorption process itself tends to be applied through a variance of heuristic measures. Furthermore, if the process of capturing fixed nitrogen was the purpose of the industrial operation, then there is no harm done. However many industrial operations often let nitrous gases escape and go to waste where they could be converted to fixed nitrogen. In the UK in particular a solution for fixed nitrogen was indeed a necessity for some time as this lack of fixed nitrogen solution led to all fertilizers being imported into the country.

With all of this in mind, we will explore principles when it comes to the absorption of nitrous gases into water, both in theory as well as with it’s potential industrial applications. There are various other absorption processes aside from the water method that will be examined in the following series of articles. We will also classify these processes, and how they fit into the whole scheme of their industrial use application. We will also re-examine the water dilute method that results in nitric acid. These processes also include the concentration of acid and it’s conversion into solid nitrates. We will also examine the handling and measurement of gases in addition to issues that arise from pumping dilute acids. In addition there is detailed analysis regarding the control of the absorption process.