The major outlet for urea, accounting for nearly 90% of total consumption, is as a fertilizer. Urea is also used in the manufacture of urea-formaldehyde resins, the synthesis of melamine, in adhesives and paints, and for laminates, moulding compounds, impregnating paper and textiles.
Urea is widely traded on international fertilizer markets. There are two main hubs in urea trade – the Black Sea and Arab Gulf. These flows are said to determine the global urea prices.
The growth in the urea market has slowed considerably but over the long term it is projected to increase by an average rate of 3-4%/year. However, urea capacity is expanding at a faster rate leading to a growing surplus by 2012.
Urea production involves a two step process where the ammonia and carbon dioxide react to form ammonium carbamate which is then dehydrated to urea. In the process, ammonia and carbon dioxide are fed to the synthesis reactor which operates around 180-210oC and 150 bar pressure.
Urea occurs as white hygroscopic crystals, which are either odourless or have a slight ammonia smell. Urea is not considered to be harmful at normal temperature, but the dust may irritate the skin, eyes and nose.
Urea
Price Reports
ICIS pricing gives you access on a weekly or real time basis to the latest price movements and critical market commentary on the Urea market. Click below to see a quarterly market overview.
More about Urea Price Reports
Urea
Uses and Outlook
Urea is a popular solid nitrogen fertilizer because of its high nitrogen content (46%), with nearly 90% of output going into this application. Most world output is in a solid form, either prills or granules, or crystalline for specialised small-volume uses. In a number of industrialised countries, a growing volume of liquid product is consumed in the production of nitrogen solution fertilizers, and in liquid cattle feeds.
More about Urea Uses and Outlook
Urea
Process Technologies
Urea was first produced industrially by the hydration of calcium cyanamide but the easy availability of ammonia led to the development of ammonia/carbon dioxide technology. This is a two step process where the ammonia and carbon dioxide react to form ammonium carbamate which is then dehydrated to urea.
More about Urea Process Technologies
Search for
Urea
Suppliers
If you are sourcing
Urea
products and services, use ICIS search for fast and accurate results. ICIS search
is the search engine dedicated to the chemical industry – we show you only relevant
results -
search now.
Urea
Plants and Projects
Get the latest information on global
Urea
plants and projects