Urea synthesis and high pressure

recovery

Urea is produced by synthesis from liquid ammonia and gaseous carbon dioxide. In the reactor R-1 the ammonia and carbon dioxide react to form ammonium carbamate, a portion of which dehydrates to form urea and water. The reactions are as follows !"#$ % &'! "#! - &''"#( "#! - &''"#( )**********+ "#! - &' - "#! % #!' ,t synthesis conditions -T * 1.. /&, 0 * 111 2g3cm! abs4 the first reaction occurs rapidly and goes to completion. The second reaction occurs slowly and determines the reactor 5olume. The fraction of ammonium carbamate that dehydrates to form urea is determined by the ratios of the 5arious reactants, the operating temperature and the residence time in the reactor. The mole ratio of ammonia to carbon dioxide is around $.( to $.6. The mole ratio of water to carbon dioxide is around /.1 to 1. The liquid ammonia from battery limits is boosted by 0-6 ,37 and collected in the ammonia recei5er 8-(. The ammonia before entering 8-( passes to the column &-1 where it encounters the gas coming from the "#$ recei5er. #ere it acts as cooling agent in order to reduce the amount of "#$ gas entering the 9.0 ammonia absorber :-11. In this way we obtain a reduction in the :-; cooling water duty, ta2ing ad5antage of the low temperature of the ammonia feed. <rom 8-( liquid ammonia is drawn and pumped to about !$ ,ta pressure by means of centrifugal pump 0-1,37. 0art of this ammonia is routed to the medium pressure absorber &-1, while the remaining part enters the high pressure synthesis loop. The ammonia of the synthesis loop is pumped by hea5y duty reciprocating pumps 0-1,37 to a pressure of about !!/ ,ta. 7efore entering the reactor it is used as the moti5e fluid in the carbamate e=ector >-1 where the carbamate from 8-1 is compressed to the synthesis pressure. The liquid mixture of "#$ and carbamate enters the reactor where it reacts with compressed carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide from the urea plant battery limits, normally at about 1./6 ,ta pressure and about !1311 /& temperature, enters the reciprocating, electric motor dri5en compressor ?-1 and lea5es it at a pressure of about 16/ ,ta. , small quantity of air is added to the carbon dioxide at the compressor suction in order to passi5ate the stainless steel surfaces, thus protecting them from corrosion due either to the raw material or the reaction products.

The reaction products, lea5ing the reactor, pass to the steam heated falling film stripper :-1, which operates at essentially the same pressure as the reactor. The mixture is heated as it flows down the tubes of the falling exchanger. The carbon dioxide content of the solution is reduced by the stripping action of the excess ammonia as it boils out of the solution. #eat supplied by the condensation of !( ,ta steam on the shell side of the stripper decomposes the carbamate. The o5erhead gases from the stripper and the reco5ered solution from the medium pressure absorber &-1 after pressure ele5ation in #.0 carbonate pumps 0-!,37 are routed to the high pressure carbamate condenser :-1 where the total mixture, except for a few inert, is condensed and recycled to the reactor by means of e=ector >-1. &ondensing the gases at high pressure and temperature permits the production of steam at (.1 ,ta in the high pressure carbamate condenser. The incondensable gases from the top of the carbonate separator 8-1 consists mainly of inert gas, with a small quantity of "#$ and &'!. These are passed under pressure control to the medium pressure decomposer :-!. The controller is split range, with a facility to pass gas to 7.@ on high pressure.

Urea Purification
Urea purification ta2es place in two stages at decreasing pressure as follows 1st stage at 1.,ta pressure -9edium 0ressure Aection4 !nd stage at (.1 ,ta pressure ->ow 0ressure Aection4

The exchangers where urea purification occurs are called decomposers, because in these apparatus the residual carbamate decomposition ta2es place

Medium Pressure Section

The solution with a low residual &'! content, lea5ing the bottom of the stripper is expanded to the pressure of 1. ,ta and enters the medium pressure decomposer :-! -falling film type4. This is di5ided into two parts Top portion 8-! where the released flash gases are remo5ed before the solution enters the tube bundle.

 @ecomposition portion where the residual carbamate is decomposed and the required heat is supplied by means of !( ,ta steam condensate, from the shell side stripper and from a6 ,ta steam in the lower part of the decomposer. The "#$ and &'! rich gases lea5ing the separator 8-! are sent to the medium pressure condenser :-B, where the &'! is totally absorbed and the "#$ partially absorbed in an aqueous carbonate solution coming from the low pressure reco5ery section. The absorption heat is remo5ed by a cooling water circuit, designed to maintain the water inlet temperature abo5e (/ /&. This is achie5ed by re-circulating a controlled portion of the heated cooling water by the pumps 0-(,37. The mixture from :-B flows to the medium pressure absorber &-1, where the gaseous phase coming from the solution enters the rectification section. This column has bubble-cap type trays and performs &'! absorption and "#$ rectification. The tray is fed by pure reflux ammonia, which eliminates residual &'! and #!' contained in the inert gases. Reflux "#$ is drawn from the ammonia recei5er and sent to the column by means of the centrifugal pump 0-1 ,37. The bottom solution is re-cycled by the pump 0-!,37 to the synthesis reco5ery section. ,n inert gas stream saturated with "#$ plus a &'! residue -!/-1// ppm4 passes from the top of the rectification section to the ammonia condenser :-; where it is mainly condensed. The inert gases, saturated with ammonia, lea5ing the recei5er, enter the ammonia reco5ery tower &-1, where an additional amount of ammonia is condensed. The inert gases, with residue ammonia content, are sent to the medium pressure falling film absorber :-11, where they meet a countercurrent water flow which absorbs gaseous ammoniaC the absorption heat is remo5ed by cooling water. <rom the bottom of :-11 the water ammonia solution is recycled bac2 to the medium pressure absorber &-1, by the pumps 0-B,37. The upper part of the medium pressure absorber consists of three 5al5e trays -&-$4 where the inert gases are submitted to a final washing by means of the absorption water. In this way the inerts are sent to blow down practically free of ammonia.

2nd Purification and Recovery stage at 4.5 Ata (Lo Pressure Section!
The solution lea5ing the bottom of medium pressure decomposer is expanded to (.1 ,ta and enters the low pressure decomposer :-$. The gas lea5ing the separator is sent to the low pressure condenser :-., where they are absorbed in an aqueous carbonate solution coming from the waste water treatment section.

The absorption and condensation heat is remo5ed by cooling water. <rom the condenser bottom, the liquid phase, with the remaining inert gases, is sent to the carbonate solution 5essel 8-1. <rom here the carbonate solution is recycled bac2 to the medium pressure condenser :-B by means of the centrifugal pump 0-$,37. The inert gases, which contain ammonia 5apor flows directly to the low pressure falling film absorber :-1! where the ammonia is absorbed by a countercurrent water flow. The absorption heat is remo5ed by cooling water. The inert gases, washed in the low pressure inert washing tower &-( are sent to blow down practically free from ammonia.

Urea "oncentration.
To prill urea it is necessary to concentrate the urea solution up to ;;.BD by wt. This is carried out in a 5acuum concentration section of two stages. The -B/D wt. urea4 solution lea5ing the low pressure decomposer is sent to the first 5acuum concentration :-1( operating at a pressure of /.$ ,ta. The mixed phase from :-1( enters the gas3liquid separator 8-6, where the 5apors are separated and remo5ed by the first 5acuum system >-1. ,fter condensation in /1-:-$$ the resulting carbamated ammonia liquor -containing also a little carried o5er urea4 drains into the process condensate tan2 /1-T-!C the non condensable with traces of ammonia and &'! and some #!' 5apors are e=ected to atmosphere. The concentrated ;1.6D wt. urea flows to the second 5acuum concentrator :-11 operating at a pressure of /./$ ,ta. The mixed phase from :-11 enters the gas liquid separator 8-B, where the 5apors are separated and remo5ed by the second 5acuum system. '5erheads are again in condensers and resulting liquor drains to /1-T-! E incondensable go to atmosphere. The first and second concentrators are fed by saturated steam at (.1 ,ta.

Urea Pri##ing
The melted urea lea5ing the second 5acuum separator is sent to the 0rilling buc2et >-; by means of centrifugal pump 0-.,37. The rotating buc2et produces droplets of urea which encounters a cold air flow passing up through the existing induced draft 0rilling tower. The urea droplets solidify during their fall down the tower.

 The solid prills are collected in the bottom of the 0rilling tower by means of a cone >-1. and discharged onto an existing belt con5eyor. <rom here they are sent to the bagging machine #-.,37 and to the final storage or loading.

$aste $ater %reatment

The water, containing "#$ and &'! and also some urea from the first and second 5acuum system as well as the drain liquors accumulated in the tan2 T-( are collected in the process condensate tan2 T-!. <rom T-! it is pumped, by 0-1(, to the waste distillation tower &-! operating at pressure of about !.; ,ta. 7efore entering the top of the column the solution is pre-heated in the heat exchanger :-1., by means of the treated water flowing from the bottom of the re-boiler, :-16. The column &-! is di5ided in two parts by a chimney column tray. 9ost of the ammonia and carbon dioxide contained in the waste water is absorbed in the upper part of the column and lea5es as o5erheads. The solution from the chimney tray containing urea and the remaining "#$ and &' is sent to the hydrolyser R-! where the urea is decomposed into &'! and "#$. The hydrolyser is fed with li5e steam at 16 ,ta. 7efore entering R-! the solution is preheated in the heat exchanger :-1; by means of the solution coming from the bottom of R-!. The solution lea5ing the bottom of the hydrolyser R-!, after passing through :-1;, is sent to &-! immediately under the chimney tray, here ammonia and &'! are stripped by means of 5apors coming from the column bottom and produced in the re-boiler :-16. The re-boiler :-16 is fed by (.1 ,ta steam. The distilled water containing $/ ppm of ammonia, 1/ ppm of carbon dioxide and 1// ppm of urea is cooled in :-1. and :-!/ before passing to the urea plant battery limits. The 5apor lea5ing the hydrolyser and the 5apor lea5ing the top of the tower &-! are condensed in the o5erhead condenser :-1B. The carbamate solution is collected in the reflux accumulator 8-.. 7y means of the centrifugal pump 0-11 part of this solution is recycled bac2 to the top of the tower as reflux, the remaining part is sent to the low pressure condenser :-..