Everything About Urea

Urea, also known as carbamide is an organic compound with chemical formula CO (NH2)2. This amide has two –NH2 groups joined by a carbonyl (C=O) functional group.

Urea serves an important role in the metabolism of nitrogen containing compounds by animals and is the main nitrogen containing substance in the urine of mammals. It is a colorless, odorless solid, highly soluble in water and practically non-toxic. Dissolved in water, it is neither acidic nor alkaline. The body uses it in many processes, most notably nitrogen excretion. The liver forms it by combining two ammonia molecules with a carbon dioxide molecule in the urea cycle. Urea is widely used in fertilizers as a source of nitrogen and is an important raw material for the chemical industry.

Friedrich Wohler’s discovery in 1828 that urea can be produced from inorganic starting materials, was an important conceptual milestone in chemistry. It showed, for the first time, that a substance, previously known only as a byproduct of life, could be synthesized in the laboratory, without biological starting materials, thereby contradicting the widely held doctrine vitalism, which stated that only living things couple produced the chemicals of life.

USES OF UREA

CHEMICAL INDUSTRY

Urea is a raw material for the manufacture of two main classes of materials: urea-formaldehyde resins and urea-melamine-formaldehyde used in marine plywood.

EXPLOSIVES

Urea can be used to make urea nitrate, a high explosive that is used industrially and as part of some improvised explosive devices. It is a stabilizer in nitrocellulose explosives

AUTOMOBILE SYSTEMS

Urea is used in selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) reactions to reduce the NO pollutants in exhaust gases from combustion from diesel, dual fuel and lean-burn natural gas engines. The ammonia produced by the hydrolysis of the urea reacts with the nitrogen oxide emissions and is converted into nitrogen and water within the catalytic converter. Trucks and cars using these catalytic converters need to carry a supply of diesel exhaust fluid, a solution of urea in water

LABORATORY USES

Urea in concentrations up to 10 M is a powerful protein denaturant as it disrupts the noncovalent bonds in the proteins. This property can be exploited to increase the solubility of some proteins. A mixture of urea and choline chloride is used as deep as a deep eutectic solvent (DES), a substance similar to ionic liquid. When used in a deep eutectic solvent, urea does not denature the proteins that are solubilized.

Urea can in principle serve as a hydrogen source for subsequent power generation in fuel cells. Urea present in urine / waste water can be used directly (though bacteria normally quickly degrade urea)

Producing hydrogen by electrolysis of urea solution occurs at a lower voltage (0.37 V) and thus consumes less energy than the electrolysis of water (1.2 V).

Urea in concentrations up to 8 M can be used to make fixed brain tissue transparent to visible light while still preserving fluorescent signals from labeled cells. This allows for much deeper imaging of neuronal processes than previously obtainable using conventional one photon or two photon confocal microscopes.

Miscellaneous uses;

• An ingredient in diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), which is 32.5% urea and 67.5% de-ionized water. DEF is sprayed into the exhaust stream is diesel vehicles to break down dangerous NOx emissions into harmless nitrogen and water.

• A component of animal feed, providing a relatively cheap source of nitrogen to promote growth.

• A main ingredient in hair removers such as Nair and Veet.

• A browning agent in factory produced pretzels.

• An ingredient in some skin cream, moisturizers, hair conditioners and shampoos.

• A cloud seeding agent, along with other salts.

• An ingredient in many tooth whitening products.

• An ingredient in dish soap.

• A nutrient used by plankton in ocean nourishment experiments for geoengineering purposes.

• As an optical parametric oscillator in nonlinear optics.

BENEFITS OF UREA

HYDRATION:

Urea is a humectant due to its ability to retain moisture by binding to water. When urea is applied to the skin, it is able to penetrate into the stratum corneum to further enhance water absorption. Hence, urea improves the ability of the skin to retain water, while simultaneously balancing adequate hydration.

EXFOLIATION:

Removal of dead skin cells in the stratum corneum will improve the water binding ability of the skin. At high concentrations, urea is a kerotolytic and helps to loosen scaly, dead skin allowing for exfoliation and improve cellular turnover.

PROTECTION:

By retaining moisture and enhancing the skin’s renewal process, urea helps to ultimately strengthen the stratum corneum barrier function to fight against trauma and containments. Routine use of a moisturizer to the skin is necessary to prevent the development of dry skin.

PENETRATION:

The benefits of urea to strengthen the skin’s barrier has allowed it to be used in a variety of urea-containing creams and lotions for skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis and cracked heels. Urea enhances skin penetration of topical medication such as corticosteroids and antifungals in order to treat scaling and inflammation of the skin.

GREEN FERTILIZER

Urea releases few environmental pollutants after its assimilation by plants, because urea leaves behind only carbon dioxide in the soil through the interaction of nitrifying bacteria. This carbon dioxide does not harm the soil.

Urea dissolves readily, converting to ammonium carbonate then nitrate. Compared with ammonium nitrogen, which can be held on clay and organic particles and with nitrate which moves freely and can leached quickly, moving to the perimeter of the welted zone in the soil, urea offers the best value. Further, irrigation controller market is also growing with leaps and bounds due to same reasons.

SOFTEN DRY FODDER FOR ANIMALS

It is another benefit of urea for animals. In farming many maize stalks and other crop residue often used to feed their dairy crows during dry season. Some farmers in an attempt to make the fodder soft often immerse it in water. In fact, the best solution is to apply urea to soften them. When feeding them, it can be easier for crows to chew and digest by adding urea.

But, it should be noticed that mixing too much urea with the feeds may cause sudden death.

MARKET ANALYSIS

The growing agriculture sector is driving the global urea market growth. Urea and its derivatives are widely used as fertilizers in most of the markets, including North America, Brazil, and India. The growing demand for N-fertilizers is providing a push to the growing demand for the product in the market. Thus, the rising fertilizer market, as well as nitrogen application, is driving the urea market growth further.

China has abundant sources of coal, an important feedstock for urea production, and the Chinese coal prices support the growth of urea production in the region. The developing countries, like the South Asian and Latin American countries, are likely to have an increased demand for the product as compared to other regions due to the increasing consumption of the product in these countries. Urea also acts as a vital feedstock in the production of adhesives, resins, plastics, etc. Thus, the growth of the markets of these products significantly supports the growth of the urea market. The product is also being increasingly used in automobiles due to the changing regulations regarding the use of nitrogen oxide in diesel engines, which is propelling the urea market further. The product is also used abundantly to produce urea-formaldehyde resins, melamine, diesel exhaust fluids, and livestock feed, and their growing demand is supporting the growth of the industry. Smart irrigation Market is also at rise in Asia.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

The report gives a detailed analysis of the following key players in the global urea market, covering their competitive landscape, capacity, and latest developments like mergers, acquisitions, and investments, expansions of capacity, and plant turnarounds:

• Yara International ASA

• Qatar Fertilizer Company (QAFCO)

• PT Pupuk Kaltim

• Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Ltd. (IFFCO)

• CF Industries Holdings, Inc.

• Nutrien Ltd.

• National Fertilizers Ltd (NFL)

• Saudi Arabian Fertilizer Company (SAFCO)

• Engro Corporation Limited

The comprehensive market decipher report provides an in-depth assessment of the industry based on Porter’s five forces model, along with giving a SWOT analysis. The report also provides the price analysis and trade data for the market.