Chemistry Question: Ammonia to Ethylene

[PapaDisco]

For the chemically inclined ("inclined" Ken . . . not "reclined!"  ), here's a question from a neophyte: is there a natural pathway for ammonia to decompose into some variant of ethylene?  

[ayepatz]

A. Yes.

Q. What is the fastest land mammal?

A. The Cheetah.

Q. Should I fake my orgasms?

A. Yes.

 

Yours,

A. (T.S.) Jackson. ?

[PapaDisco]

I didn't realize the bit about the orgasms . . . any YouTube videos I should study?  

[cfc1016]

Wtf...?

[patrick_harmon44]

Ammonia can be turned into a nitrite using a biomass. Oxygenated into a nitrate using a heavily oxygenated aerobic biomass. Turned into an oxalate and hydroligized into Ethylene. Basically ran through a wastewater plant or naturally over an extended period of time in a good water based ecosystem.

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[patrick_harmon44]

Sounds almost like making a wine then aerating it into a vinegar under pressure might yield the same results?!? But you'de almost have to nitro the wine then air it? Not so natural after that.

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[luv2fly]

2 hours ago, ayepatz said:

A. Yes.

Q. What is the fastest land mammal?

A. The Cheetah.

Q. Should I fake my orgasms?

A. Yes.

 

Yours,

A. (T.S.) Jackson. ?

Airplane, I love it!!!!!!

[Randy956]

OP, why do you ask such a question?

[Jimmy_jack]

I was told there would be no math.

[Fugu]

17 hours ago, PapaDisco said:

For the chemically inclined ("inclined" Ken . . . not "reclined!"  ), here's a question from a neophyte: is there a natural pathway for ammonia to decompose into some variant of ethylene?  

I don't quite get the rationale behind the obscure question, Pappy . There is no direct pathway (of course), and by no means through a form of simple "decomposition" (and - what is a "variant" of ethylene anyway?!). It is like asking whether ethanol could be generated from water. As you will know, ethylene can be synthesized by plants (I think this is the major natural source) and is an important phytohormone inducing the ripening process. There may be, not sure, microbial (Archaea) pathways eventually leading to ethene under consumption of ammonia (or at least nitrogenous substrates), though not directly, and mostly the aliphatic end product under anaerobic conditions will be methane, not ethylene (ethene).

Could you give us a hint as to why you ask? One thing is sure, you don't have to fear humidor explosion by ethene being generated in your "fermenting" cigar boxes ....

[PapaDisco]

On 5/19/2018 at 4:58 AM, Fugu said:

I don't quite get the rationale behind the obscure question, Pappy . There is no direct pathway (of course), and by no means through a form of simple "decomposition" (and - what is a "variant" of ethylene anyway?!). It is like asking whether ethanol could be generated from water. As you will know, ethylene can be synthesized by plants (I think this is the major natural source) and is an important phytohormone inducing the ripening process. There may be, not sure, microbial (Archaea) pathways eventually leading to ethene under consumption of ammonia (or at least nitrogenous substrates), though not directly, and mostly the aliphatic end product under anaerobic conditions will be methane, not ethylene (ethene).

Could you give us a hint as to why you ask? One thing is sure, you don't have to fear humidor explosion by ethene being generated in your "fermenting" cigar boxes ....

Sure thing; one of the recurrent scents that I get from cigars, well past their ammonia phase, is that same hint of ethylene that one gets off of a very ripe fruit.  It's not as overwhelming, but it is clearly there on the retro.  For me it's faint, but broadly consistent across all marcas and ages up to about 3 years or so.  I was just speculating that it might be "where" the ammonia goes, but I'm not that strong in chemistry to know.

[Fugu]

7 hours ago, PapaDisco said:

Sure thing; one of the recurrent scents that I get from cigars, well past their ammonia phase, is that same hint of ethylene that one gets off of a very ripe fruit.

Ah, ok. No, no, what you smell resembling ripe or ripening fruit, and are taking for ethylene, is quite likely fruit esters. That's indeed among those products that are being formed through fermentation of tobacco, as well as in ripening fruit.