Did you know that Terra Indsutries, Inc., is not the only thing that produces
ammonia and urea? Through a chemical reaction, your own body produces ammonia and urea as
well. Every time you exhale, you breathe out ammonia.
Chemical reactions occur everyday in our
lives, whether it is our own body or a process at a chemical plant.
At Terra Industries, Inc., our chemical
process involves ammonia and urea.
Ammonia and urea are produced from three
substances common to the environment – natural gas, air and water.
To produce ammonia, the three substances are
combined under the influence of heat with temperatures as high as 1500ºF in the presence
of a catalyst. Under these conditions, the substances chemically react to form a gas
stream of hydrogen, nitrogen and other gases. Using a series of catalysts and chemical
solutions, all gases are removed with the exception of nitrogen and hydrogen. The
commingled nitrogen and hydrogen, called synthesis gas, reacts to form ammonia gas. The
ammonia gas is then cooled to - 28ºF and condensed to a liquid.
During the process of making ammonia, a gas
by-product, carbon dioxide, is produced. This gas, along with warm liquid ammonia, is used
to produce urea. The urea production process involves mixing liquid ammonia and carbon
dioxide under high pressure and heat to form carbamate. The carbamate is then converted to
liquid urea and water.
The urea solution then flows through a series
of evaporators to further separate the liquid urea and water. Ultimately, a water-free
concentrated liquid is carried to the top of a prilling tower, some 15 stories high.
At this point, the liquid urea solution is
sprayed in a circular motion, which forms small liquid droplets that free fall to the base
of the tower. While the liquid droplets are falling, air is pulled up through the tower to
assist in cooling the liquid. When the droplets have reached the base of the tower, they
have solidified to form solid urea prills ready for use.
USAGE
Anhydrous ammonia is primarily used as a direct application nitrogen fertilizer
with quick nutrient release properties. Ammonia, when mixed with different chemical compounds, is used in a variety of other
fertilizers in a solid or liquid form. Mixed fertilizers provide a combination of
nutrients for the soil. Ammonia, as a component of other chemical compounds, is used for
many industrial applications. The liquid is also used as a cleaning fluid and as a
refrigerant.
Urea is primarily used as a nitrogen
fertilizer in prill form and applied directly to the soil with slower and longer lasting
release properties. Urea can be mixed with other types of fertilizer to produce
combination products a farmer may need to replenish nutrients required on different soils.
It is used as an animal feed when mixed in the appropriate proportion with other types of
animal feed products.
Urea, in the building industry, is used in a
resin form to produce plastics, moldings, and adhesives.
Just as chemists are continuing to research
the affects that ammonia and urea have on your body, similar research is being done
towards the development of additional uses of ammonia and urea within the chemical
industry to improve the world.
We at Terra Industries, Inc. are proud to be part of the
world of chemistry. |
