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Ammonium chloride in animal production is used as an economical alternative to other inputs, such as urea in cattle diets. However, its applications are not limited to this, so let’s first understand what this compound is to better discuss its uses.

Ammonium chloride is an inorganic chemical compound that serves as a source of nitrogen and chlorine, widely used in industrial, agricultural, and pharmaceutical applications. Its chemical formula is NH4Cl, and at room temperature, it appears as a white crystalline solid, soluble in water.

Ammonium chloride is typically produced through the reaction between ammonia (NH3) and hydrochloric acid (HCl). This is a neutralization reaction where hydrochloric acid donates a proton (H+ ion) to ammonia, resulting in the formation of ammonium chloride crystals. The chemical equation for this reaction is:

NH3 + HCl → NH4Cl

The reaction can occur by directly mixing ammonia and hydrochloric acid gases or by dissolving hydrochloric acid in water and then adding the ammonia solution. On an industrial scale is produced by introducing gaseous ammonia and hydrochloric acid into a reactor, where an exothermic reaction takes place to form solid ammonium chloride. After formation, ammonium chloride can be purified through processes like crystallization and filtration before being refined and packaged for transport and sale.

Animal Production and Ammonium Chloride: An Interesting Combination?

Research has been conducted on applying ammonium chloride in various areas of animal production as a cost-effective alternative to other inputs, such as urea, and the results have been favorable. In cattle farming, for example, it has been used as a non-protein nitrogen source, serving as a more economical and sufficiently efficient alternative to urea. Ammonium salts have been used in dairy cattle farming to prevent milk fever in cows, as ammonium chloride induces metabolic acidosis, increasing calcium mobilization from bones and absorption in the intestine, helping reduce problems caused by milk fever.

Some studies on fistulated dairy cows have shown that using ammonium chloride to completely replace urea in the diet reduced dry matter intake without losing performance. Additionally, it improved nutrient digestibility, reduced ruminal pH, and decreased plasma urea nitrogen concentration, though it did not affect ruminal ammonia concentration or microbial protein synthesis. Also allowed for more efficient use of nitrogen, and it can be included in cattle diets at up to 1.4% on a dry matter basis.

However, it is important to monitor dry matter intake and inclusion levels, as, similar to urea, ammonium chloride can be toxic when converted to ammonia in the rumen, potentially causing ruminal acidosis and triggering various systemic issues that affect productivity.

In confined sheep, ammonium chloride has been tested as a urinary acidifier to prevent obstructive urolithiasis, a condition where there is partial or complete obstruction of urinary flow due to the deposition of salts and formation of stones in the bladder or urethra. Stone formation occurs due to imbalances in diet, low water intake, mineral imbalances, or genetic predisposition, potentially leading to reproductive issues, difficulty urinating, abdominal pain and distension, lethargy, anorexia, and death. Ferreira et al. (2014) reported that ammonium chloride was effective as a urinary acidifier in preventing struvite and calcium phosphate stones, which are preferably formed in alkaline pH, without affecting animal growth, appetite, or weight gain.

In general, the process of urinary acidification occurs when ammonium chloride is absorbed by the body and converted in the liver to urea and hydrochloric acid (HCl), which acts as a donor of H+, causing metabolic acidosis. The H+ is excreted directly by renal tubules to prevent acidemia, producing acidic urine, or it combines with HCO3– to form carbonic acid, which dissociates into water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) (Taton et al. 1984, Jones et al. 2009).

In poultry and swine, ammonium chloride is also used, added to drinking water to lower pH and control bacterial growth and pathogen spread through water. It has also been used to reduce cystitis in pregnant sows, due to the same urinary pH reduction mechanism mentioned earlier (DIAS et al., 2015). In more specific cases, it has been used to stimulate appetite and promote growth.

For each need, ammonium chloride can be considered and evaluated for its potential uses, as it has various other industrial applications, such as in agriculture through fertilizers, chemical production, pharmaceuticals, and metal processing, among others. It is worth noting that for the applications mentioned, it is an attractive and economical option. Consult our specialists to find an efficient solution for your needs through our service channels.

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Also read: Propionic Acid: Industrial Applications