Urea

About Urea

Urea or carbamide, is an organic compound with the chemical formula CO(NH₂)₂ that is consisted of a carbonyl functional group links two amine groups. The capacity for urea production globally is about 220 million tons per year; It stands to reason that after ammonia, urea bears the highest nitrogen content among all industrial chemicals so there is a great potential for its application in different fields.

• More than 90% of urea production devoted to agriculture. As a fertilizer, urea is in high demand because of some reasons; Firstly, in the soil it converts back to ammonia and carbon dioxide; Ammonium is oxidized by nitrogen-fixing bacteria results in production of nitrate- a metabolite that is easily taken up by the roots of plants. In addition to its high nitrogen content, urea has the possibility to be used as a solid in pellet form; Besides, urea’s excellent solubility in water allows it to be incorporated into solutions with other plant nutrients.
• Urea is also used in animal feed as a cheap nitrogen source; Some animal like cattle can convert it into protein which is a common biomacromolecule in their body.
• Urea-formaldehyde resins and urea-melamine-formaldehyde are two main classes of materials that are manufactured based on urea and their application is in marine plywood.
• In automobile systems, urea is used in Selective Non-Catalytic Reduction (SNCR) and Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) reactions to reduce the NOx pollutants in exhaust gases from combustion from diesel, dual fuel, and lean-burn natural gas engines. The BlueTec system, for example, injects a water-based urea solution into the exhaust system. 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.
• In research projects, urea works as a powerful protein denaturant, as a hydrogen source in fuel cells and an agent to make tissues transparent for deeper imaging in confocal microscopy.
• Urea nitrate is a high explosive product that is made from urea industrially for use in improvised explosive devices.
• Dermatological creams usually contain urea 40 % to moisturize the skin and is indicated for psoriasis, xerosis, eczema, onychomycosis, keratoderma, corns and calluses.
• Urea 40% (as carbamide peroxide) is a useful medicine for removal of damaged tissue of nails and additional wax of ear.
• As a diuretic, urea is prescribed to treat patients with euvolemic hyponatremia.
• Urea is an excipient for coating formulation in drug-coated balloon (DCB) which is used in stenotic blood vessels to increase local drug delivery. At low doses, urea forms crystals that enhance drug transfer to vascular endothelial cells without adverse toxic effects.
• Urea is a nitrogen-based deicer often used in areas where chloride salts cannot be tolerated at all, such as on elevated walkways, railways and in airports. Because rock salt deicers usually make corrosive damage to the transportation infrastructure such as reinforced or prestressed concrete structures and steel bridges. Urea seems to be a good substitute since it is non-corrosive, pet friendly and safe to plants.
• It is an effective ingredient used in formulation of shampoos, moisturizes, hair conditioners, whitening toothpastes, dish soaps, flame-proofing agents and cloud seeding materials.
• Instant-cold packs are plastic bags contain urea and water in distinct sections; Urea has a highly negative heat of solution in water so that after breaking the seal between them intermingling causes short-term cooling that may relief joints and muscles pain.