UREA PRODUCTION

HISTORY
In 1773, Urea was first discovered in
human urine by H.M. Rouelle. It was
synthesized in 1828 by Friedrich
Wohler and like many major
discoveries in science, it was
accidental.
He concluded that potassium
cyanate when treated with
ammonium sulfate gives out urea.
The discovery gave a start to the

DEFINITION
a colorless crystalline compound
that is the main nitrogenous
breakdown product of protein
metabolism in mammals and is
excreted in urine
is an organic compound with the
chemical formula CO(NH).

COMPUTED PROPERTIES
Molecular Weight: 60.05526
g/mol
Molecular Formula: CH4N2O

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
white coloured crystals may
gradually develop slight odor
of ammonia, especially in
presence of moisture. has
saline taste soluble in water

CHEMICAL REACTION
The first is carbamate formation: the
fast exothermic reaction of liquid
ammonia with gaseous carbon
dioxide (CO2) at high temperature
and pressure to form ammonium
carbamate (H2N-COONH4):[15]
2NH3 + CO2 H2N-COONH4 The
second is urea conversion: the
slower endothermic decomposition
of ammonium carbamate into urea
and water: H2N-COONH4 (NH2)2CO

USES OF UREA

 Urea is the world's most commonly

used nitrogen fertilizer and indeed
more urea is manufactured by mass
than any other organic chemical.
Containing 46% N, it is the most
concentrated nitrogen fertilizer, and is
readily available as free-flowing prills
(granules). While over 90% of urea
produced is used as a fertilizer, it has
other uses, which include the
manufacture of the melamine, used in
melamine-methanal resins. Urea itself
also forms important resins.

 An increasingly important use of

urea is in reducing air pollution
from diesel engines in cars, buses
and lorries. Diesel engines run at
high temperatures and nitrogen
and oxygen, from the air, are able
to react together under these
conditions to produce high
concentrations of nitric oxide.
One way to remove this pollutant
is to allow it to react with

PHYSICAL FORMS
OF UREA

 Commercially, fertilizer urea can be

purchased as prills or as a granulated
material. In the past, it was usually
produced by dropping liquid urea
from a "prilling tower" while drying
the product. The prills formed a
smaller and softer substance than
other materials commonly used in
fertilizer blends. Today, though,
considerable urea is manufactured as
granules. Granules are larger, harder,
and more resistant to moisture. As a
result, granulated urea has become a

FERTILIZER UREA

 Urea, a white crystalline

solid containing 46%
nitrogen, is widely used in
the agricultural industry as
an animal feed additive
and fertilizer Here we
discuss it only as a
nitrogen fertilizer.

ADVANTAGES

 Urea can be applied to soil as a solid

or solution or to certain crops as a
foliar spray
Urea usage involves little or no fire or
explosion hazard. Urea's high
analysis, 46% N, helps reduce
handling, storage and transportation
costs over other dry N forms. Urea
manufacture releases few pollutants
to the environment. Urea, when
properly applied, results in crop yield
increases equal to other forms of

DISADVANTAGES

 Urea is very soluble in water, and

hygroscopic water; hygroscopic water
creates a thin layer surrounding
individual soil particles, which makes
water unavailable to plants, and hence
requires better packaging quality
Urea contains impurities more than
2%, it cannot be used as a fertilizer,
since the impurities are toxic to
certain crops, particularly citrus

ECONOMICS OF UREA
PRODUCTION

UREA LOSSES TO
AIR

 Urea breakdown begins as soon as it

is applied to the soil. If the soil is
totally dry, no reaction happens. But
with the enzyme urease, plus any
small amount of soil moisture, urea
normally hydrolizes and converts to
ammonium and carbon dioxide.
CO(NH2)2+ H2O + urease
2NH3+CO2(urea)

SOIL APPLICATION
AND PLACEMENT OF
UREA

 Urea undergoes chemical changes

and ammonium (NH4 +) ions form
(soil moisture determines how
rapidly this conversion takes place)
When a urea particle dissolves, the
area around it becomes a zone of
high pH and ammonia
concentration.
Urea-based fertilizer applied in a
band should be separated from the
seed by at least two inches of soil.
Urea can be applied to sod crops,

SPREADING OF UREA
Urea can be bulk-spread, either
alone or blended with most other
fertilizers
Lack of "weight" produces a shorter
"distance-of-throw" which will result
in uneven crop growth and "wavy"
or "streaky" fields.

BLENDING UREA WITH

OTHER FERTILIZERS
Urea and fertilizers containing urea
can be blended quite readily with
monoammonium phosphate (11-520) or diammonium phosphate (1846-0).
Urea should not be blended with
superphosphates unless applied
shortly after mixing.

UREA DO'S AND DON'TS

 Store separately from

ammonium nitrate.
Do not use small, fast-moving
augers to move the urea.
Do not exceed a spreading
width of 50 feet when urea is
applied.
Do not place in direct contact
with corn seed.

 Keep rates of nitrogen applied

together with small grain in drill
to 10 lb. on dry soils, 20 lb. when
soil is moist.
Apply urea on sod crops when
atmosphere temperature is below
60 degrees F.
When urea is broadcast on soils
of high pH (above 7.5), the
material should be incorporated
into the soil as soon as possible.

PRODUCTION AND
PROCESSES

UREA SYNTHESIS
FLOWCHART

UREA PROCESSES
Once Through
Partial recycle
Total recycle

Snamprogetti
Stamicarbon
Mitsu Toatsu
Advanced Cost and Energy Saving (ACES) by TEC

ONCE-THROUGH
PROCESS
Simplest and least expensive (both capital and
operating cost) among the three processes
Least flexible and cannot be operated unless some
provision is made to utilize large amount of ammonia
and off-gas.

PARTIAL RECYCLE
PROCESS
Part of the off-gas is recycled back to the reactor
The amount of ammonia is reduced to 15% to that of
once through that must be used in other processes.
Investment cost is somewhat lower than the total
recycle process

TOTAL RECYCLE
PROCESS
All unconverted NH3 and CO2 is recycled back to the
reactor (99% conversion).
No nitrogen co-product is necessary
Most flexible urea process as it depends only NH3
and CO2 supply
Most expensive in investment and operating cost

SNAMPROGETTI
PROCESS DESCRIPTION
Urea synthesis & high pressure recovery
Urea purification & low pressure recovery
Urea concentration
Urea prilling

REFERENCES
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/
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