Urea is a colorless substance that is odorless and soluble in water. Because it is neither acidic nor alkaline, it performs its job as a nitrogen-containing molecule in mammalian urine. Urea is neither uncharged nor cation when dissolved in water. It is used by the body to remove waste from the blood. Ammonia and carbon dioxide ((NH3/CO2)) is converted by the liver into urea, which is then stored in the urine. Urea is a major raw ingredient in the chemical industry, and it has several uses as a fertilizer.

Applications Of Urea

Urea is used in

• Production of Water-soluble fertilizers.
• Dyes and Pigment industries
• Cattle Feed Manufacturing
• Manufacturing of Urea Formaldehyde resin
• Production of Diesel exhaust fluid for pollution abatement
• Plywood and adhesive industries

TGU- Technical Grade Urea

Technical Grade Urea is a kind of organic chemical. Urea is essential in the metabolism of nitrogen-containing substances. Urea is a colorless, odorless substance that is readily soluble in water. It is also non-toxic.

Uses Of Technical Grade Urea

In the biofuel business, technical-grade urea is used in the fermentation process.

Urea has also found a new application in recent years to minimize nitrogen oxide emissions to air from both transportation and stationary sources.

Technical Grade Urea Granules are ideal for the particle board sector. This is useful as a basic component in the furniture, construction, and laminated floor sectors.

It is also in high demand in the pharmaceutical and medical industries. It is found in a variety of creams. Technical Grade Urea Granules provide several skin care advantages and are consequently utilized in a wide range of moisturizers, lotions, and shampoos. The products on offer can be used to create a variety of healthcare and beauty products.

Technical Grade Urea As a Useful Ingredient

• The animal feed contains TG Urea
• TG Urea is a non-corrosive substitute for rock salt.
• Raw substance for cigarette flavoring additives
• Ingredient in hair removal products.
• It acts as a browning agent.
• Ingredient in skin creams, moisturizers, and hair conditioners.
• Due to the endothermic reaction, a reactant in certain ready-to-use cold compresses for first-aid application.
• A seeding agent for clouds.
• Flame-proofing agent raw material
• Ingredient in teeth whitening products.
• Dish soap’s raw ingredient.
• Sugar fermentation raw ingredient for ethanol production.
• A nutrient utilized by plankton in geoengineering studies to replenish the ocean.
• Additive for increasing working temperature.
• As a solubility booster and moisture retainer in dye solutions for textile dyeing or printing
• The petrochemical industry is a rapidly growing field, and one of the most important components of this industry is urea.

Global Production

The worldwide urea production capacity was around 54 million tons in previous years and is expected to increase to approximately 63 million tons by 2024. In 2018, Asia Pacific was the largest urea producer, accounting for more than 55% of total world capacity. Here are some statistics on global petrochemical consumers: – From 2019 to 2024, worldwide urea consumption is predicted to expand at a 2.8% CAGR. – The Asia Pacific area has the biggest demand for urea, followed by Europe and North America. Water-soluble fertilizers, dyes and pigments, calf feed, urea-formaldehyde resin, diesel exhaust fluid, plywood, and glue are the most common uses for urea.

Benefits

The rising demand for urea as a fertilizer in the agriculture industry is likely to boost market expansion. Because of its high nitrogen concentration, urea is a valuable nitrogen source that is usually used in nitrogen-based fertilizers.

Urea is also used to eliminate dead tissue from wounds, which aids in wound healing. Urea is a keratolytic agent. It softens/dissolves the horny substance (keratin) that binds the top layer of skin cells together, hence enhancing skin hydration. This effect helps to remove dead skin cells while also helping the skin to retain more water.

Urea dissolves easily in water. At typical atmospheric circumstances, 1 pound of urea may be dissolved in 1 pound of water. Urea should not include more than 0.25% biuret in foliar spraying. Nitrogen applied to many crops at once should not exceed 20 pounds per acre.

Urea is not a flammable or explosive substance. It may be safely kept under normal settings without deterioration in quality. To reduce the pace at which nitrogen is available to plants, certain minerals, such as sulfur, can be coated on urea fertilizer. Under certain situations, these slow-release compounds assist developing plants to make greater use of their resources. On golf courses, parks, and other special-purpose lawns, slow-release urea is commonly employed.

Market Overview

The urea market is expected to be worth more than 183,000 metric tonnes in 2021, with a CAGR of less than 2% during (2022-2027).

The discovery of urea uses in the manufacturing of bio-bricks is expected to open up new business prospects in the future years.

The Asia-Pacific region is predicted to dominate the market and grow at the fastest rate during the forecast period.

Manufactured Urea Forms

Urea is widely employed in urea-formaldehyde (UF) resin, a non-transparent thermosetting polymer. It is mostly made from urea and methane (formaldehyde). The urea market is divided into three sections: grade, end-user industry, and region. The market is divided into three grades: fertilizer, feed, and technical. The market is divided into agriculture, chemical, automotive, medical, and other end-user sectors.

Technical Grade is Likely to Witness the Highest Growth Rate

Technical-grade urea is used in a variety of applications, including adhesives, medicinal medications, colors, disinfectants, cosmetics, and yeast synthesis. The nitrogen content of technical grade urea is at least 46% by weight (on a dry basis).

Urea-formaldehyde resins, adhesives, plywood, animal feed, and cloud seeding agents are all made with technical grade urea.

Furthermore, urea is utilized as a basic component in many creams, and as the demand for cosmetics grows, so will the need for technical-grade urea.

Increasing Requirement Of TGU

According to a senior Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers official, the country has an annual demand of roughly 13-14 lakh tons of technical-grade urea for industrial use, of which only 1.5 lakh tons are produced. The sector imports barely 2 lakh tons, despite the need for more than 10 lakh tons.