Urea

Dr. Hemlata Karne

✔ Ammonia and CO2 are
compressed separately

✔ Ammonia and CO2 added to high

pressure autoclave

✔ Temperature – 185C, pressure –

180atms

✔ Autoclave is water cooled due to

the highly exothermic nature of
the reaction
✔ Residence time – 1.5-2 hr

✔ Mixture – urea, ammonium carbamate,

H2O, unreacted NH3+CO2

✔ Pressure reduced to 27 atms

✔ Fed to a special flash evaporator

✔ Temperature – 140C, pressure – 27atms

✔ Unreacted NH3, CO2 and H2O recycled

back
✔ Carbamate –urea solution fed to flash
drum

✔ Pressure reduced to 1 atm

✔ Decomposition of carbamate take

place

✔ The off gases are recycled back

✔ Or sent to NH3 processes

✔ 80% aqueous urea solution sent
to vacuum evaporator

✔ Temperature – 135C, pressure –

60 cmHg

✔ Urea containing less than 1%

water is obtained

✔ The molten mass is then sprayed

into a prilling tower

✔ Temperature – just above

melting point