Description of various Urea manufacturing processes

Sameer Pandey1
National Fertilizers Limited, Naya Nangal, 140126, Ropar, Punjab

Abstract:In this paper, various processes used for industrial manufacturing of Urea, and process parameter values used
typically in plants have been presented. Urea manufacturing is the backbone of any country, and recent advancements in
the field have made the manufacturing process energy efficeint and simple. Recent revamps in National Fertilizers Lim-
ted and various other plants in India have been done, after the governments initiative to reduce energy consumption of
these plants, reduce Urea import, cost of production and fertilizer subsidy. The study of Urea process technolgy is
unargualbly very important.

INTRODUCTION:
Urea is manufactured by the rection between Carbon Dioxide gas and liquid Ammonia in specially
designed autoclave reactors.
CO2 + 2NH3 ↔ NH2CONH2 (Urea) + H2O
The above reaction, is an typical example of Carboxylation reaction, where CO 2 is weak acid and
NH3 is weak base. The overall reaction is exothermic equilibrium reaction, hence temperature and
pressure play a very important role in kinetics of the reaction.
The undesired side reaction is the formation of Biuret.
2NH2CONH2 ↔ NH2CONHCONH2 + NH3
Biuret if formed when two moles of Urea react together giving Biuret and Ammonia, typically
excess Ammonia is ued in order to prevent Biuret formation. Other Parameters effecting Biuret
formation are Residence time in Prilling tower and temperature of Urea melt, also concentration of
Urea solution plays a important role.
Various manufacturing processes of Urea are listed as follows:
1.Montedison total recycle process
2.Mitsui toatsu process
3. Snamprogretti process
4.Stamicarbon process
5.Aces Process
6.Montedison IDR prodcess.

They are discussed one by one following here:

MONTEDISON TOTAL RECYCLE (Revamped by Urea Casale) PROCESS:

The process involves two reactors, a single once through reactor (R2) and a reactor (R1) which
handles the carbamate recycle. A total Carbamate condensor is installed before Reactor R1. There
are three decomposition stages, followed by two Vacuum concentration stages, to give a Urea melt
of 99 % concentration. A natural draft prilling tower is installed. Low pressure absorbate is used to
absorb gases in high pressure stages.

Typical process parameter used in plant operation:

N/C ratio = 3 to 4
Temperature of reactor = 200 oC
pressure inside reactor = 200 to 350 ATA

Compared to other Urea manufacturing processes this process has a slightly higher energy
consumption, due to several stages of ammonia recovery and recycle. Water content in recycle is
comparatively high.

1. corresponding author mail sameer281192@gmail.com ,.kindly mail for any corrections.

figure 1: digram decribing montedison process briefly.

MITSUI-TOATSU C IMPROVED PROCESS:

The process involves three decomposition stages or less, followed by a crystallisation section of
urea melt, the off gases from the units are absorbed in the mother liquor from the crystaliser and
recycled back to the reactor. The urea melt from subsequent stages is stripped in next decomposition
stage from the vapors. The main focus of the process is to reduce water content in the reactor
recycle stream, this is achieved by absorbing the gases in urea mother liquor from the crystalizer,
which is heated and then used for absorbing the gases in high pressure decomposition sections
instead of using low pressure stage absorbate. The overall conversion of the reactor is thus
maintained.

Typical parameters are:

N/C = 3 to 5
Reactor temperature = 250 OC
Reactor pressure = 200 to 400 ATA

This process is little better in terms of yield and biuret content in Urea product, the energy
consumption is more or less same as the Montedison process.
Figure 2: A brief descriptive diagram of Mitsui-Toatsu C improved Process.

SNAMPROGRETTI PROCESS:
This is a total recycle process based on stripping, ammonia is used generally as stripping agent but
CO2 can also be used. The plant operates at a high N/C ratio, thus ammonia acts as stripping agent.
SAIPEM recommends use of Urea grade steel for reactor section and offers different options for the
stripper material, namely Zirconium and Urea grade steel material. Now a days SAIPEM has
launched OmegaBondTM material compromising Titanium tube with extruded bonded Zirconium
inner tube.
The need for high pressure pumping equipment is eliminated as the stripper and carbamate
condenser operate at the same pressure as the synthesis section. Conversion in reactor is around
60% , overall conversion on the basis of CO 2 fed can be as high as 75-80% due to carbamete
decomposition in HP section. The plant layout is horizontal.

Typical Operating Parameters:

N/C=3.3-5
Reactor temperature= 190 oC
Reactor Pressure= 160 ATA
Stripper Pressure= 160 ATA
Stripper temperature= 210 oC

The Energy savings in this process compared to the previous two process is substantially high,
nowadays new plants of more capacity are being installed using Snamprogretti. Capacity ranging
from 3000 to 3500 MTPD Urea..
Figure 3: Block diagram describing in brief the Snamprogretti process.

STAMICARBON PROCESS:
Stamicarbon process consists of a reactor, stripper , pool condenser and scrubber in the synthesis
section. The design has been named LAUNCH MELT TM. The N//C ratio is maintained around 3,
stripping agent is CO2,, and mateial used in the stripper is reactor recommended by Stamicarbon is
Safurex®..
Typical parameters are:
N/C = 3
Reactor temperature: 185 oC
Reactor pressure : 140 ATA
overall conversion can be as high as 80% of fed carbondioxide. Stripper pressure is around same as
that of reactor. Stamicarbon uses a vertical plant layout hence uses gravity for driving the carbamate
solution. Stamicarbon has introduced Technology to increase the plant capacity to 6000 MTPD. The
single stream process does not have MP decomposition section.

The process requires less energy, and is comparable to Saipem technology. The stripper tubes
consists of ferrules and top section of stripper has a packed bed, followed by a distributor to evenly
distribute the urea solution coming from reactor over the tubes, heating is achieved by condensing
steam.
The pool reactor has a pool of condensing liquid, which has utube bundles immersed in it. Steam in
genereated in the tube side and the steam thus produced used in LP recirculation section and
vacuum section.
Figure4: Brief block diagram of Stamicarbon process.

ACES(Advanced Cost and Energy Savings) PROCESS:

The main idea of the process is to reduce steam consumption of the plant. A high N/C ratio is used,
as a result of which high single pass conversion is achieved in the reactor. Two parallal carbamate
condensers are used which give maximum heat recovery in form of steam generated, one used for
MP decomposition and other for generating steam to be used in LP section.

Toyo Engineering Corporation along with PUSRI developed the ACES21 process. The process has
synthesis in two stages, a vertical submerged scrubber functioning as carbamate condenser, HP
scrubber and the primary urea reactor followed by a secondary vertical reactor. Different values of
N/C values are used for reactor and carbamate condenser in ACES21 process, and layout is
horizontal.
Typical parameters of the process
Reactor temperature = 200 oC
reactor pressure = 180 ATA
N/C(ACES) = 4

MONTEDISON ISOBARIC DOUBLE RECYCLE(IDR) PROCESS:

The process involves heat treatment of reactor effluent in two isobaric stages. By heat treatment is
meant stripping, employing excess ammonia in first stage and excess carbon dioxide in second
stage. The first stage effluent is recycled directory to reactor, the second stage effluent is condensed
and recycled as liquid. A high N/C ratio is used.
Typical parameters are
Reactor temperature = 200 oC
reactor pressure = 200 ATA
N/C= 4.25