Method of quantitatively producing ammonia from urea
AssigneeThe Chemithon Corporation
InventorsBurton Brooks, Walter A. Jessup, Brian W. MacArthur
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for continuously, quantitatively producing gaseous ammonia from urea, including the steps of: dissolving urea in water to form concentrated aqueous urea comprising at least 77 wt. % urea; continuously feeding the concentrated aqueous urea into a reactor; continuously feeding a separate, additional supply water into the reactor to form an aqueous urea reaction mixture; heating the aqueous urea reaction mixture; and continuously withdrawing a gas phase product including ammonia from the reactor, is disclosed. Also disclosed are methods and apparatus for continuous and batchwise dissolution of urea to form aqueous urea solutions.
Claims20
A method of continuously, quantitatively producing gaseous ammonia from urea, comprising the steps of:
- dissolving urea in water to form concentrated aqueous urea comprising at least 77 wt. % urea;
- continuously feeding said concentrated aqueous urea into a reactor;
- continuously feeding a separate, additional supply of water into said reactor to form an aqueous urea reaction mixture;
- heating the aqueous urea reaction mixture to hydrolyze the urea;
- and
- withdrawing a gas phase product comprising ammonia from said reactor.
A method of continuously, quantitatively producing gaseous ammonia from urea, comprising the steps of:
- dissolving urea in water to form concentrated aqueous urea comprising at least 77 wt. % urea;
- storing at least a portion of said concentrated aqueous urea solution at a temperature greater than its saturation temperature and less than about 140° C.;
- continuously feeding said concentrated aqueous urea into a reactor;
- continuously feeding a separate, additional supply of water into said reactor to form a reaction mixture comprising at least one mole of water per mole of urea in said reactor;
- heating the aqueous urea reaction mixture to a constant temperature in a range of about 155° C. to about 175° C. to hydrolyze the urea;
- and
- withdrawing a gas phase product comprising ammonia from said reactor to maintain a constant pressure in said reactor in a range of about 80 psig to about 200 psig.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.