Dsm N.v.

Dsm IP Assets B.v.

Unie Van Kunstmestfabrieken B.v.

Stamicarbon B.v.

Kees Jonckers

Andreas J Biermans

Jozef Hubert Meessen

Petrus J Van Nassau

Johannes Henricus Mennen

Hendrik F Perree

Henk C Burks

Pierre G Bruls

Nora Anna De Wit

Bastiaan Renè Agnes Marie Van De Kerkhove

Mathijs W Packbier

Herbert Willem Gerrit Hooijkaas

Jan Zuidam

Mario G De Cooker

Andreas Johannes Biermans

Herbert Willem Hooijkaas

Bastiaan Rene Van De Kerkhove

Bastiaan René Agnes Marie Van De Kerkhove

The invention relates to a process for separating NHfrom a mixture containing NH, COand HO which comprises an NHrectification step carried out in a NHseparation device to which one or more streams containing NH, COand HO including the mixture, are supplied, with a stream consisting substantially of gaseous NHbeing formed in the NHseparation device, separated from the mixture and discharged. In the process according to the invention a condensation step is carried out on at least one of the stream consisting substantially of gaseous NHor the one or more streams containing NH, COand HO supplied to the NHseparation device, in which at least a part of the existing COis converted to a liquid phase.

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The invention relates to a process for the preparation of urea from ammonia and carbon dioxide with the application of a synthesis reactor, a condenser, a scrubber and a stripper, wherein an outlet of the stripper, through which a gas stream is discharged during operation, is functionally connected to the inlet of the condenser and to the inlet of the reactor and wherein an outlet of the condenser is functionally connected to an inlet of the scrubber and wherein the obtained reaction mixture is stripped in the stripper in countercurrent with one of the starting materials, wherein the division of the gas stream from the stripper to the condenser and the reactor is completely or partly controlled by one or more controlling elements present in the non-common part of the functional connection between the outlet of the stripper and the inlet of the condenser and/or the inlet of the reactor.

Process for the preparation of urea

The invention relates to a process for the preparation of urea from ammonia and carbon dioxide, which preparation takes places wholy or partly with the application of a synthesis reactor, a condenser, a scrubber and a stripper, wherein an outlet of the stripper, through which a gas stream is discharged during operation, is functionally connected to the inlet of the condenser and to the inlet of the reactor and wherein an outlet of the condenser is functionally connected to an inlet of the scrubber and wherein the obtained reaction mixture is stripped in the stripper in countercurrent with one of the starting materials, wherein the gas stream coming from the top of the submerged condenser is subjected to an extra washing step before this gas stream is supplied to the high-pressure scrubber. The submerged condenser operating as such may be for example a submerged condenser of horizontal or vertical design of a falling-film high-pressure carbamate condenser transformed into a submerged condenser. The invention further relates to a process for improving and/or optimizing a urea plant as well as to a urea plant as such.

Process for the preparation of urea from ammonia and carbon dioxide, wherein the waste gases released at virtually atmospheric pressure in a urea plant are compressed by an ejector driven by the waste gas from the high-pressure synthesis and are supplied to a medium-pressure absorber. The pressure of the waste gases is increased by 0.15-1 MPa.

Process for the preparation of urea from ammonia and carbon dioxide in which all or part of the liquid ammonia needed for the process is supplied to the high-pressure scrubber in such a way that it is in direct contact with the other streams supplied to this scrubber. In particular in such a way that there is direct contact between the liquid ammonia and the off-gases transferred to the high-pressure scrubber from the urea synthesis reactor. More in particular in such a way that there is direct contact between the liquid ammonia and the off-gases transferred to the high-pressure scrubber from the urea reactor and with the carbamate stream, which is transferred from the low-pressure urea recovery section.

The invention relates to a process for the preparation of urea from ammonia and carbon dioxide, the preparation being effected in whole or in part in a vertical combi-reactor. The gas stream leaving the stripper is fed to the condenser section of a vertical combi-reactor in which this gas stream is wholly or partially condensed in the carbamate stream which is transferred from the scrubber section to the condenser section via a downcomer. Ammonia and carbon dioxide are partially converted into urea in this condenser section of the combi-reactor. The urea conversion is completed in the reaction section of the combi-reactor.

A reactor for the synthesis of urea from ammonia and carbon dioxide at elevated temperature and pressure is provided with perforated reactor trays in which at least a pair of spaced part perforated reactor trays each have at least one opening at least a distance closer towards the periphery than the center, such as on or near the edge of a perforated reactor tray, and each of such pair perforated reactor trays is provided with a tube with a height of 50-500 mm located on and depending from an underside, e.g. bottom side in a column reactor, of each of such pair perforated reactor tray. The tubes extend to no more than 1/3 of the distance between two adjacent reactor trays.

Reactor for the synthesis of urea

Method for increasing the capacity of an existing urea process, the existing urea process comprising a reactor (R), a pressure-reduction section (SC) and a urea-recovery section (U), characterized in that

Method for increasing the capacity of an existing urea process

The present invention relates to a process and apparatus for the preparation of urea, and in particular for urea obtained from ammonium carbamate formulated from carbon dioxide and ammonia at a pressure of about 125 bar to about 350 bar in a urea synthesis solution in a urea reactor. The reactor defines a horizontally arranged condensation zone and contains a heat exchanger. According to this process, NH.sub.3 and CO.sub.2 are supplied to the reactor and are largely absorbed into the urea synthesis solution. A substantial portion of the heat formed in the condensation is discharged by means of the heat exchanger. The residence time of the urea synthesis solution in the reactor preferably is selected so that at least about 85% of the theoretically obtainable amount of urea is prepared. Thereafter, the urea synthesis solution can be processed into a urea solution or solid urea.

Method for the preparation of urea

An improved process and apparatus for the concentration of an aqueous urea solution by evaporation of water in a single pass shell and tube heat exchanger having a substantially vertical tube bundle within the shell. The aqueous urea solution is introduced into the top of the vertical tube bundle and caused to fall as a film down the inside of said tubes whereby it is heated and water evaporated therefrom to form a concentrated urea solution. The heat for this evaporation is provided by condensing at least a part of a gas mixture containing NH.sub.3, CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2 O in the shell side of the heat exchanger. This gas mixture is introduced into a lower portion of the shell wherein it is caused to flow upwardly in shell in contact with said tube bundle, counter-current to the flow of the aqueous urea solution within the tubes whereby heat from said condensation is transferred to said aqueous urea solution flowing down the inside of the tubes. The shell side is provided with baffle means adapted to permit the gas mixture and condensate to flow upwardly in the shell side in contact with the tubes, while substantially preventing the back flow of either the gas mixture or the condensate within the shell side.

Process for concentrating an urea solution by evaporation

An improved process for the preparation of urea from carbon dioxide and excess ammonia at an elevated temperature and pressure to form a urea synthesis solution containing uncoverted ammonium carbamate and free ammonia. A portion of the ammonium carbamate contained in the urea synthesis solution is decomposed in a first decomposition zone by the supply of heat, and the first gas mixture thus obtained is separated and at least partially condensed in a first condensation zone. The residual area solution is heated in a second decomposition zone maintained at a pressure of between about 4 and 40 bar thereby decomposing a further portion of ammonium carbamate and the second gas mixture thus obtained is separated from the second residual urea containing stream. This second residual area stream is introduced into a further decomposition zone wherein remaining ammonium carbamate is substantially removed, and a third gas mixture thereby formed is processed to form a dilute aqueous ammonium carbamate solution. The remaining urea containing liquid phase is concentrated by evaporation in an evaporation zone. The evaporation zone includes a shell and tube heat exchanger wherein the urea containing liquid phase to be concentrated is introduced into the tube side of a first end of said exchanger, the second gas mixture is introduced into the shell side near the second end of said heat exchanger, and the dilute aqueous ammonium carbamate solution is fed into the shell side of said heat exchanger at a point between the first and second ends. Condensate formed in the shell side of the heat exchanger is discharged therefrom at the first end. In this manner, the heat of condensation of the condensing second gas mixture is transferred to the urea containing phase to be concentrated in the evaporation zone.

Process for preparing urea

An improved process for the preparation of urea from carbon dioxide and excess ammonia at elevated temperature and pressure. The urea solution from the urea synthesis zone is heated and stripped at an elevated pressure to decompose a portion of the ammonium carbamate contained therein and the ammonium and carbon dioxide containing off-gas produced is condensed in a first condensation zone. The stripped urea solution is heated at a reduced pressure in a decomposition zone to decompose a further portion of ammonium carbamate, and the ammonia and carbon dioxide containing off-gas thereby produced is condensed in a second condensation zone to form an aqueous ammonium carbamate solution. A portion of this aqueous carbamate solution is introduced into a desorption zone so as to produce an off-gas more concentrated with respect to ammonia and carbon dioxide than the ammonium carbamate solution, and the off-gas from this desorption zone is condensed into a further portion of such aqueous ammonium carbamate solution in a third condensation zone, maintained at a pressure between the pressure in the decomposition zone and about 40 bar, to form a more concentrated ammonium carbamate solution which is recycled to the urea synthesis zone.

An improved process for the removal of urea, ammonia, and carbon dioxide from dilute aqueous solutions thereof by hydrolyzing the urea, and thereafter desorbing ammonia and carbon dioxide. The dilute solution containing urea is passed into the top portion of a reaction column and caused to flow downward and countercurrent to a heating and stripping gas while maintaining the reaction column at a pressure of between about 10 and 30 bar, and a top column temperature of between about 170.degree. and 220.degree. C. and a bottom column temperature of between about 180.degree. and 230.degree. C. The resulting liquid stream removed from the bottom of the reaction column, comprised of a substantially urea-free aqueous solution of ammonia and carbon dioxide, is introduced into a desorption zone wherein, at a pressure of between about 1 and 5 bar, ammonia and carbon dioxide are removed therefrom.

Process for the removal of urea, ammonia, and carbon dioxide from dilute

An improved process for the preparation of urea from carbon dioxide and ammonia at elevated temperature and pressure whereby unconverted ammonia, substantially free of carbon dioxide and water is recovered from a urea and ammonium carbamate containing liquid process stream. An urea and ammonium carbamate containing process stream is expanded to a pressure of between about 1 and 25 kg/cm.sup.2 absolute and heated, thereby decomposing ammonium carbamate and forming a gas mixture containing ammonia, carbon dioxide and water vapor. The improvement comprises the steps of (a) introducing this gas mixture into a carbon dioxide separation column along with sufficient diluting water to form a first residual liquid phase, containing ammonia, carbon dioxide and from about 65 to 96 percent by weight water, in the bottom of such column, and separately removing therefrom an off-gas of carbon dioxide substantially free of ammonia, and the first residual liquid phase; (b) introducing this first residual liquid phase into a desorption column wherefrom a second off-gas containing ammonia, carbon dioxide and water vapor, is removed; (c) introducing the second off-gas into an ammonia separation column and separately removing therefrom a third off-gas of ammonia substantially free of carbon dioxide and water vapor, and a liquid phase containing ammonia, carbon dioxide and water; and (d) recycling the third gas phase back to the urea synthesis zone. The carbon dioxide separation column, desorption column and ammonia separation column are all operated at substantially the same pressure of between about 1 and 25 kg/cm.sup.2 absolute.

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Susteren, Netherlands

Kees Jonckers