Published January 16, 2012 at 813 699 in Block

diagram of Urea Production from NH3 and CO2

Block Diagram of Urea Production Process.

Important physical and chemical operations are

represented as blocks and flow connectivity is

provided between the process unit.
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Block diagram of Urea Production
from NH3 and CO2
Sam kk / January 19, 2012

Urea is a primary fertilizer having rich concentration

of Nitrogen when compared to other inorganic
chemical fertilizers. Urea is produced in large scale
with reference to other NPK fertilizers because of its

use in producing various grade fertilizers, as a

nitrogen supplement. About 45-47% of nitrogen is
present in a unit amount of urea and melts at 132.7
degree centigrade. Urea chemically called as
carbamide when used in production of synthetic
fibers and urea resins.
Below are some of the famous methods and
processes that explain how urea can be produced by
industrial scale:
Sindri method
Solvay process
Dupont process
Krase process
Inventa process
Chemico process
Montecatini process(solution recycle)
Pechiney process

 Stamicarbon process(Dutch State

Mines)
Allied chemical high pressure process
Toyo Koatsu process
In a snamprogetti methods urea synthesis reactor
operates at 350-4000F and 2500-3500 psig to convert
NH3 and CO2 to ammonium carbamate. Due to
endothermic reaction forward reaction is favoured
by increasing temperature and pressure. The formed
ammonium carbamate is dehydrated to give molten
urea. Then a series of decomposition and
condensation loop will strip out the unreacted
ammonia, carbon dioxide and recycle them to again
to the process. In end of the process stream pressure
is let down and fed to vacuum evaporator to
concentrate molten urea to 99% pure. A scrubbing
and extraction loop of condensate and urea solution
is designed to recover the ammonia and carbon
dioxide gases that are not reacted. Finally a superb
technique of granular formation of molten urea is
done in a prilling tower, it real a nice and interesting

unit operation. A bucket rotates and spray out molten

urea through it nozzles. As the sprayed matter travel
to the bottom of the prilling tower they cool down by
counter flow of cool dry air forming a perfect
regular spherical particles of urea. On observing the
beautiful technique in granular operation, helps to
learn more on the design of prilling tower. All the
condensate is recycled back to the plant with wellengineered condensate loop system. The above
block diagram of urea production shows the unitoperation streaming.
The chemical equation for the
production of urea fertilizer:
CO2 + 2NH3 NH2COONH4 (ammonium
carbamate)
H= -155KJ/mol
NH2COONH4 NH2CONH2 (urea)+ H2O
H= +4.2Kcal/mole
Chemical formula of urea is NH2CONH2 and the
molecular weight is 60.06 gram/mole.

Brief explanation about block diagram of

urea production plant:
Typical
Unit
Process
blocks in
process/operati Descriptio
urea
ons
n
production
plant
CO2
Compressor/turbi Compresse
compression ne
d to 160
atm
Urea reactor Chemical reactor Urea
production
at 188 oC,
155 kg/cm2
Medium
Indirect Stripper
Pressure
(separator)
decomposer

Convert
carbamate
to
ammonia
and carbon
dioxide at

18 atm
Low pressure Indirect
Convert
decomposer Stripper(separato remaining
r)
carbamate
to NH3 and
CO2 at 4.5
atm
Vacuum
Vacuum
Concentrat
preconcentra evaporator(separ ion of urea
tor
ator)
is done by
removing
water.
Medium
pressure
absorber

Absorption

Ammonia
recovery
from
carbamate

Prilling tower Granulator

Formation
of urea
granules
from slurry

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January 19, 2012 in Inorganic chemicals.
Tags: Urea
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