Process for the Production of Urea

This invention relates to a process for the production of urea.

It is known that a new technology developed in the last years in the field of urea production, which allowed a remarkable reduction in the investment and operation costs. On the ground of such new technology the carbamate contained in the effluents, coming from the reactor, dissociates and separates from the solution of urea by means of a stripping agent at a total pressure which may be also the one of the synthesis. It was trying to avoid the thermic decomposition at low pressure.

Said new processes allowed considerable reduction of the product cost; in effect they permit, as it is known, to recover the heat developed in the condensation of the effluents coming from the carbamate decomposition, generating steam which may be reused in other zones of the plant.

According to the above cited technology the stripping agents may be NH.sub.3 and CO.sub.2. In the process employing NH.sub.3 as stripping agent there is the elimination practically complete of the CO.sub.2 contained in the stream coming out from the reactor; anyhow an appreciable amount of NH.sub.3 remains in such stream.

In the process employing CO.sub.2 as stripping agent there is in the stream coming out from the decomposer, a residual content of NH.sub.3 lower, compared with the process before mentioned, but an appreciable residue of CO.sub.2.

Therefore it is a matter of course that notwithstanding the remarkable advantages, both the processes require onerous sections for the final treatment of the solution, both for recovering quantitatively NH.sub.3 and CO.sub.2 to send back to the synthesis and for obtaining an aqueous solution of urea free from CO.sub.2 and from NH.sub.3. It is at the same time known the techniques which provide decomposing thermically without employing a stripping agent.

The object of this invention is a process which permits of eliminating the above drawbacks realizing the whole recycle of all residual compounds contained in the effluents of the reactor (carbamate, carbonates, NH.sub.3) through a system operating preferably at the same pressure of the reactor, obtaining a practically pure aqueous solution of urea.

A further object of this invention is a method for the complete purification of the solution coming from the reactor. In the process, object of the present invention, a stream of NH.sub.3 and of CO.sub.2 is conveyed into a reactor. The reaction mixture is maintained under a pressure ranging from 50 to 300 atmospheres and at a temperature ranging from 150.degree. to 300.degree.C.; the mixture coming out from the reactor and composed of urea, carbamate, ammonia, carbon dioxide and water is forwarded to a decomposer of carbamate operating substantially at the synthesis pressure. Said decomposer may operate as a simple distillator (without any stripping agent) or letting flow in countercurrent to the cited solution a stream of an overheated gaseous ammonia, which sent as stripping agent favours the total decomposition of the carbamate.

In the first case a simple thermic decomposition occurs. The carbamate decomposer, also in the case there is a stripping agent, is heated for furtherly favouring the decomposition.

The gaseous stream coming out from the top of the carbamate decomposer, essentially constituted by NH.sub.3, CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2 O, is condensed in a condenser wherein steam is generated at high thermic level, which may be re-utilized in other parts of the plant. The condensed phase coming out from the condenser is recycled to the synthesis zone. The liquid phase coming from the bottom of the decomposer practically CO.sub.2 free, is forwarded to a second decomposer wherein an inert gas (N.sub.2, N.sub.2 and H.sub.2 and/or other ones) is employed as a stripping agent. Also the second decomposer is heated and operates substantially at the synthesis pressure.

The gaseous stream coming out from the second decomposer essentially containing the inert saturated with NH.sub.3 and H.sub.2 O is sent into a condenser where the heat is recovered generating steam at high thermic value. The part which condenses is recycled to the synthesis, while the inert not condensed, if that is the case, is forwarded to a washing for recovering the NH.sub.3 still contained. From such a washing the inert comes out practically pure and after being compressed again it is recycled to the second decomposer as reported before. From the bottom of the second decomposer a water solution of practically pure urea comes out, which goes to the following treatments.

It is obvious the advantage of operating, in any part, of the plant, at a pressure equal to the synthesis one. As a matter of fact, besides vapours to be condensed at high pressure, which permit to produce steam usable in the different parts of the plant, there is a remarkable simplification of the process control and the number of the apparatuses necessary, if different values of pressure were utilized, is reduced.

Furtherly, as high re-compressions are not necessary there are low consumptions of energy, which in this part of the plant are reduced to the necessary ones for the circulation of the inert gas stream.

Hereinafter a detailed description of this invention process is reported, referring to the particular case wherein in the first decomposer a stripping by means of ammonia is performed.

In the drawing 1 there is the scheme of the process which has already been briefly described. With reference to said drawing through lines 1 and 2, respectively, NH.sub.3 and CO.sub.2 reach to reactor 5.

The synthesis products, essentially constituted by urea, carbamate, NH.sub.3, CO.sub.2 and water, through line 6 are sent to the first decomposer in countercurrent with ammonia. Said ammonia is drawn from line 1 through line 3, vapourized and overheated in the heat exchanger 4 and through line 7 sent to the decomposer 8. In the decomposer 8 the carbamate decomposition occurs because of the heating and of the stripping action of the ammonia.

The vapours coming out from the top of the decomposer through line 9 are forwarded to the condenser 10, wherein steam is produced and the condensed phase is recycled through line 11 to the synthesis.

From the decomposer 8 through line 12 urea solution substantially CO.sub.2 free enters from the top the second decomposer 13 and meets in countercurrent the inert gas introduced in the bottom of the decomposer 13 through line 16. The consequent stripping frees the solution from the whole ammonia; in such a way from the bottom of decomposer 13 a water solution of urea substantially pure is withdrawn and goes to the following treatments through line 14. The mixture of gases and vapours coming out from the top of the decomposer 13 and formed essentially of NH.sub.3, inert steam goes, through line 15, to the condenser 17; the condensed part is introduced through line 23 into line 11 and then recycled to the synthesis, the uncondensable gases so through line 18 to the washing tower 19 and meet in countercurrent the washing liquid introduced through line 24.

From the bottom of tower 19 a water solution of ammonia comes out through line 22, from the top come out the purified inert gases, which through 20 go to the compressor 21 and through 16 come back to the bottom of the decomposer 13 for the stripping.

A great number of possible realizations of the scheme are obviously feasible with reference to the system of purifying inert gas, which is made to circulate in the stripper 13, and as to the operative pressure of the different apparatuses such as the reactor 5, the decomposers of the carbamates 8 and 13, the condenser of carbamate 10 a.s.o.

An important modification of the scheme reported in drawing 1, may be realized by allowing to work the first decomposer without any stripping agent, i.e. by carrying out in such stage a simple thermic decomposition. In such a case, referring to the scheme of drawing 1, lines 3 and 7 and the heat exchanger 4, are missing.

A further important modification of the scheme of drawing 1 is realized by sending to the decomposer 13, as a stripping agent, an inert gas coming from an external source, which may be recycled to the above mentioned external source after being subjected to a possible purification treatment. For instance possible N.sub.2 + 3H.sub.2 coming from a plant of preparation of the mixture for the ammonia synthesis are sent. In this case, with reference to FIG. 1, lines 15 and 16 are opportunely connected to such a plant. Effectively it is desirable that near a plant for the urea production there be a plant for the ammonia synthesis.

Since it is completely obvious that modificatons and variations may be effected to the preceding description without deviating from the nature and the spirit of the invention, it must be well understood that this one is not limited by this description.

Now we report an example which is supplied with the aim of illustrating the present invention without constituting a limitation of the same. Only in the case it is not indicated in a different way, all the percentages expressed in the description are given by weight.

With reference to the scheme of drawing 1 in line 6 there is a reaction mixture of the following composition:

After passage of said mixture into the decomposer 8 there are the following compositions in the line 12:

The liquid of the above composition is let pass through the decomposer 13 and from line 14 a mixture of the following composition comes out:

It is obvious the excellent purification obtainable by means of such process; excellent purification which means obviously an excellent recovery of the product which did not react.