Nitric Acid – Uses, Prices, and Production

This blog is the tenth in a series of blogs I plan to write providing use, price, and production data on high-use inorganic and organic chemicals.  Click here to see the first blog in this series and a list of chemicals to be featured.  This blog provides data on nitric acid.  The primary purpose of these blogs is to present estimates of recent price, production, and sales revenues for the chemicals.

Uses.  Uses of nitric acid include:

Ø  In the preparation of several chemical products such as: fertilizers (especially ammonium nitrate); explosives; adipic acid (used to make nylon); toluene diisocyanate (used to make polyurethane); and nitrobenzene (used to make dyes);

Ø  In metallurgy, e.g., in extracting metals to corresponding oxides and nitrates; and

Ø  In uranium processing.

About 75 to 80% of nitric acid use is for making fertilizers.  Nitric acid strong oxidizing property accounts for its usefulness.  Most nitric acid is used internally, i.e., by the company for making other chemicals.   About 10% is estimated to be sold externally.

Prices.  An average 2019 global nitric acid price range is estimated to be $350 to $400 per metric ton (mt).           

Production.  Nitric acid is primarily made from the catalytic oxidation of ammonia to nitrogen oxide, which is then oxidized to nitrogen dioxide.  The nitrogen dioxide is dissolved in water to make nitric acid.

From the internet, estimated 2019 global sales of nitric acid is in the $22 billion range.  Using $22 billion of sales and an average per mt price of $375 (see Prices above) gives 59 million mt of nitric acid sold globally in 2019 ($22 billion divided by $375 per mt).