Prill urea vs. granular urea
Prill urea vs. granular urea may have been the most controversial topic regarding the use of urea in industry or agriculture. These rich sources of nitrogen are today’s most searched-for topics among farmers, manufacturing owners, etc.
In this article, the importance of urea as a fertilizer, and then the differences between prill urea and granular urea will be explained.
What’s urea?
You may have heard of prill urea vs. granular urea or prill vs. granular fertilizer, but what is Urea exactly?
Urea, also known as carbamide, with a formula of H2NCONH2, is a safe and useful compound. This nitrogenous substance is made from the metabolic breakdown of proteins in all kinds of mammal species and some fishes and is found in their urine, milk, perspiration, bile, and blood.
This colorless substance is an important source of nitrogen, used as fertilizers, feed supplements, cosmetic production, starting materials for making plastic, and medical uses. Note that, more than 90% of urea production is used in agriculture, and then animal feed has the second place.
Because of the existing nitrogen content in urea, urea is one of the most concentrated nitrogenous fertilizers. So, it can be converted into ammonia when it is applied to the soil and helps the plants grow greener.
Urea fertilizers
A fertilizer is a natural or man-made material that provides important nutrients to help plants grow and produce better. It improves the soil’s natural ability to support plants or replaces nutrients used up by previous crops.
Soil fertility means how well the soil can give plants the nutrients they need to grow, as long as other things like sunlight, water, temperature, and soil structure are right. If the soil isn’t fertile enough, natural or artificial materials, called fertilizers, can be added to provide the missing nutrients. Fertilizers are usually man-made and don’t include things like lime or gypsum.
Urea fertilizers, prill urea vs. granular urea, make up more than 50% of the world’s nitrogen fertilizer use because they are high in nitrogen and low in cost. Urea breaks down quickly, releasing ammonia (NH₃) with the help of microbes, and is then turned into nitrate (NO₃⁻) by bacteria. Urea is also important for recycling and moving nitrogen in plants.
Prill urea vs. granular urea
In this part, different shapes of urea fertilizers will be introduced, and then prilled urea compared to granular urea will be explained.
Shapes
Urea fertilizers will come in a variety of shapes and usages. Here we mostly focus on prill urea vs. granular urea. These are listed below.
- Granular urea: This high-purity urea fertilizer (46% nitrogen) is normally used in agriculture. Its granular shape makes it easy to apply and absorb into the soil. Ranging from 1 to 4 millimeters in diameter, this fertilizer can have irregular shapes and surfaces.
- Prilled urea: This type of urea is processed into small pellets, known as prilled urea, and is commonly used as a fertilizer. It contains about 46% nitrogen and is usually more affordable than granular urea. Ranging from 1 to 2 millimeters in diameter, this spherical fertilizer can have a smooth surface.
- Feed-grade urea: This is a lower-purity urea used as a protein supplement in animal feed. It has around 44% nitrogen and may contain impurities that make it unsuitable for fertilizer.
- Technical-grade urea: This is a high-purity urea used in making products like resins, adhesives, and plastics. It can contain 99% or more nitrogen and is made with special processes.
- Diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) grade urea: This high-purity urea is used in diesel engines with SCR systems to reduce emissions. It contains 32.5% nitrogen and must meet strict standards to prevent damage to the engine or SCR system.
Knowing about different types of urea and their usages, here we mostly focus on granular and prilled urea.
Benefits and differences
In this part, the advantages and differences of prill urea vs. granular urea will be discussed. Both prilled and granular urea as a solid nitrogen fertilizer, can be added to the soil, other fertilizers, or mixed with water to nourish the soil in order to help crops and plants grow healthier.
However, one of the advantages of prill urea over granular urea is that prill urea because of its high dimensional consistency and small size needs a little time for dissolving in water than granular urea.
Granular urea because of its small granular shapes provides a steady release of nitrogen, so it is mostly used for long-term crops and plants’ growth. On the other hand, prilled urea is suitable for an immediate nutrient boost due to its quick nitrogen release.
In the matter of application and handling of prill urea vs. granular urea, granular urea is easier to handle, transport, and store, because of being less dusty. However, the smaller shapes of prilled urea make it perfectly suited for different application methods while granular urea requires special equipment for application.
Purchasing urea fertilizers
Knowing about prill urea vs. granular urea gives us another perspective on fertilizers and their benefits in different fields, especially agriculture. But it raised another issue which is purchasing high-quality, affordable urea fertilizers.
Petro Arkan with its variety of urea fertilizers is a reliable source to purchase from. Having the best quality urea fertilizers, reliable and safe transportation, and reasonable prices have made Petro Arkan a renowned company providing urea fertilizers.
Summary
Urea is a nutrient substance produced in mammals’ bodies and used in different industries. Using it as fertilizers has helped the plants and crops to grow healthier. Similarities and differences of Prill urea vs. granular urea fertilizers have made them used widely in different fields.
FAQ
- Do prill and granular urea explode?
No. they are not flammable either.
- Is prill urea cost-effective or granular urea?
Both of them are affordable fertilizers.
- Do they both have the same amount of nitrogen?
Yes, they are equal in nitrogen.
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