HCN is produced commercially by the reaction of ammonia, methane, and air over a platinum catalyst or from the reaction of ammonia and methane. HCN is also obtained as a by-product in the manufacture of acrylonitrile and may be generated during many other manufacturing processes
Hydrogen cyanide, under the name Zyklon B, was used as a genocidal agent by the Germans in World War II. It is used commercially for fumigation, electroplating, mining, chemical synthesis, and the production of synthetic fibers, plastics, dyes, and pesticides.
