Check what is urea used for, from fertilizers and industrial resins to medical skin treatments and de-icing solutions. Learn how urea benefits agriculture, healthcare, and more.

Urea is a versatile chemical compound with a wide range of applications across various industries. Understanding what urea is used for can help highlight its importance in everyday life.

What is Urea?

Urea is a colorless, crystalline substance that contains a high amount of nitrogen. It is primarily produced from ammonia and carbon dioxide. Urea is most well-known for its role in agriculture, but it has many other uses as well.

Urea (CH4N2O), also called Carbamide, is a compound made from carbonic acid. It is commonly used as a fertilizer, an animal feed supplement, and a raw material for making drugs and plastics. Urea is a colorless, crystalline substance that melts at 132.7°C (271°F) and breaks down before it reaches its boiling point.

In mammals (including humans) and some fish, urea is the main waste product of protein metabolism. It is not only found in urine but also in milk, bile, blood, and sweat.

When the body breaks down proteins, it removes amino groups (NH2) from amino acids. These groups turn into ammonia (NH3), which is harmful. To protect the body, the liver converts ammonia into urea, which is then filtered by the kidneys and removed from the body through urine.

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History and Making of Urea

Urea was first separated from urine by a French chemist, Hilaire Marin Rouelle, in 1773. Later, in 1828, a German chemist named Friedrich Wohler created urea in a lab by combining Ammonium Cyanate. This was the first time a natural organic compound was made from non-living (inorganic) materials.

Today, urea is produced commercially in large amounts by mixing liquid carbon dioxide and liquid ammonia. When these two are combined under high temperature and pressure, they form Ammonium Carbamate. When the pressure is lowered, this compound breaks down into water and urea.

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Urea Structure

Urea is a waste product that the body gets rid of through urine. It dissolves in the kidneys and blood before being excreted. Urea has no biological function. It is a colorless, odorless, and non-toxic compound that easily dissolves in water.

Urea contains two amide groups (NH₂) attached to a carbonyl group (C=O). The name carbamide comes from combining the words carboxylic (carbonyl) and amide.

Carbonyl group → A carbon atom double bonded to an oxygen atom (C=O).
Amide group → A nitrogen atom attached to two hydrogen atoms (NH₂).
When two amide groups bond with the carbonyl group, they form urea.

Urea’s chemical formula contains:

1 Carbon (C)
1 Oxygen (O)
2 Nitrogen (N)
4 Hydrogen (H)

Urea Chemical Formula Structure

Urea structural Formula

Here’s a simplified version of the Urea Formula for better understanding:

Urea Formula: CH4N2O
Molecular Weight: 60.06 g/mol
Density: 1.32 g/cm³
Melting Point: 133 °C
Appearance: White solid

How is Urea Made?

The body gets rid of waste through the kidneys, lungs, and skin. These organs help remove harmful substances.

The lungs remove extra carbon dioxide.
The skin removes extra salts and water through sweat.
The kidneys remove extra salts, water, and urea.

Urea is made when the body digests protein. During digestion, proteins turn into amino acids. The liver then processes the extra amino acids into ammonia, which is harmful. To make it safer, the liver changes ammonia into urea, which is less toxic. The kidneys filter urea out of the blood, and it leaves the body through urine.

Properties of Urea

Urea is made of nitrogen, carbon, and oxygen. It is found in the milk, blood, and sweat of mammals. When concentrated, it becomes urine.

Urea is a crystal-like compound with about 46% nitrogen in its dry form. In the U.S., around 1 million pounds of urea are processed yearly. Most of it is used in fertilizers to help plants absorb nitrogen. It is also used in making plastics, glues, animal feed, and even some explosives.

What are the main uses of urea? – What is Urea Used For?

1. Agriculture

Urea is primarily used as a nitrogen-rich fertilizer.

Nitrogen Source: It provides essential nutrients for plant growth, helping to improve crop yields.
Application Methods: Farmers can apply urea directly to the soil or dissolve it in water for irrigation. This flexibility makes it a popular choice in farming practices.

2. Animal Feed

Urea is also utilized as an additive in animal feed.

Protein Supplement: It helps increase the protein content in feed, especially for ruminant animals like cattle and sheep. This allows farmers to create more nutritious feed at a lower cost.

3. Industrial Applications

Urea plays a crucial role in various industrial processes.

Plastics and Resins: It is used to produce urea-formaldehyde resins, which are important in making wood products like particleboard and plywood.
Adhesives: Urea serves as an adhesive component in many products, enhancing their durability and strength.

4. Pharmaceuticals and Skincare

In the pharmaceutical industry, urea is valued for its moisturizing properties.

Skin Treatments: It is commonly found in creams and lotions designed to treat dry skin conditions due to its ability to retain moisture.
A 40% urea solution can be used to remove damaged nails without surgery.
It is also used to soften and remove earwax.

5. Environmental Applications

Urea has environmental benefits as well.

Deicing Agent: It can be used as a less harmful alternative to salt for deicing roads and walkways during winter months.
Emission Control: In the automotive industry, urea is used in diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) to reduce harmful nitrogen oxide emissions from diesel engines, contributing to cleaner air.

6. De-icing Agent

Urea agents are used in airport runway as well:

Urea is used to de-ice runways and aircraft parts because it is not corrosive.
It is preferred in areas where salt cannot be used for de-icing.

7. Kidney Function Testing

Urea has several usage in kidney function testing :

Urea levels in blood and urine are measured to check kidney health.
Tests like BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen) and UUN (Urine Urea Nitrogen) help detect kidney issues.
However, changes in urea levels can also be caused by dehydration or high protein intake, not just kidney problems.

8. Other Uses

Urea has several other applications:

Explosives: It is involved in the production of certain explosives.
Textile Industry: Urea aids in dyeing fabrics and improving their texture.

Urea has many other uses:

It is mainly used as a fertilizer to release nitrogen and make the product dissolve in water.
It stabilizes most nitrocellulose explosive products.
It is used to make high explosives like urea nitrate.
It is an important chemical in lanthanide research.
It is used in creams and ointments to rehydrate the skin.
It is found in hair removal creams and dish soaps.
It gives pretzels their brown color.
It is used to make melamine.
It helps detect stomach bacteria through the urea breath test.

Simple Definition of Synthetic Urea – How It Is Made and Its Uses

In 1828, scientists made urea artificially for the first time from non-living materials. Urea is a chemical compound formed by mixing ammonia (NH₃) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) under high pressure and high temperature. The process produces ammonium carbamate, which then breaks down into urea and water.

The chemical reaction looks like this:

2NH₃ + CO₂ ⇋ NH₂COONH₄ (ammonium carbamate)
NH₂COONH₄ ⇋ H₂O + NH₂CONH₂ (urea)

The mixture is heated to remove water, leaving behind urea crystals.

Uses of Synthetic Urea

Fertilizer: Urea is widely used as a nitrogen fertilizer because it has a high nitrogen content and is affordable. It can be mixed with other fertilizers, applied directly to the soil, or sprayed on plants.
Slow-release fertilizer: Urea is combined with formaldehyde to create methylene-urea fertilizers, which slowly release nitrogen over time, supplying nutrients for up to a year.
Animal feed: Although urea is not a protein, ruminant animals (like cows and sheep) can use it to meet part of their protein needs.
Resins and chemicals: Urea is also used to make urea-formaldehyde resin, a material used in adhesives and wood products.
Medicines: It is used in the production of barbiturates, a type of sedative drug.

Why Is So Much Urea Produced?

Every year, around 220 million tons of urea is made globally. The main reason is that urea is a highly effective fertilizer. It contains a lot of nitrogen, which plants need to grow. When urea is added to the soil, it breaks down into ammonia and carbon dioxide. Bacteria in the soil turn the ammonia into nitrate, which plants can easily absorb through their roots.

Urea is popular because:

It contains a high amount of nitrogen.
It can be applied as solid pellets.
It dissolves easily in water, making it simple to mix with other plant nutrients.

About 90% of urea is used in farming. The rest (around 20 million tons) is utilized for:

Animal feed – Cattle can turn urea into protein.
Resins and chemicals – Urea is used to make urea-formaldehyde resins and barbituric acid.
Skincare products – It is used in moisturizing creams.
Instant cold packs – When mixed with water, urea creates a cooling effect, which helps soothe sore joints and muscles.

Conclusion

Urea’s diverse applications make it an essential compound across multiple sectors, from agriculture to pharmaceuticals. Its ability to enhance plant growth, improve animal feed, and contribute to industrial products highlights its significance in modern society. Understanding these uses not only showcases urea’s versatility but also its importance in supporting various industries and environmental efforts.

About Agromer – Bulk Supplier of Urea for All Industries

Agromer is a leading bulk supplier of urea, catering to various industries, including agriculture, manufacturing, and healthcare. The company provides high-quality urea for use in:

Agriculture: Fertilizers and soil enrichment.
Industry: Production of resins, adhesives, and chemicals.
Medical and Pharmaceutical: Skin treatments and dermatological products.
De-icing: Safe, non-corrosive solutions for runways and roads.

Agromer ensures consistent quality, competitive pricing, and reliable delivery to meet the diverse needs of its clients.

Need expert advice or bulk ordering from the top urea supplier & manufacturer? Reach out to Agromer today. Let’s grow better, together!

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Email: pthary@agromer.org

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