Abstract:
AN IMPROVED SOLVENT AND PROCESS FOR MAKING UREA BY REACTION OF AMMONIA, SULFU AND CARBON MONOXIDE. THE PROCESS INVOLVE THE USE OF A REACTION SOLVENT COMPRISING A MIXUTRE OF DIALKYL ETHERS OF POLYALKYLENE GLYCOLS HAVING AN AVERAGE MOLECULAR WEIGHT BETWEEN ABOUT 2000 AND ABOUT 400. BY-PRODUCT HYDROGEN SULFIDE IS CONTINUOUSLY STRIPPED FROM THE REACTION MIXTURE WITH EXCESS CARBON MONOXIDE, ABSORBED IN SOLVENT RECOVERED FROM THE REACTION PRODUCT MIXTURE, AND OXIDIZED TO SULFUR WITH AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS IN THE PRESENCE OF A CARBON CATALYST. THE RESULTING SULFUR-CONTAINING SOLVENT MIXTURE IS RECYCLIED TO THE UREA SYNTHESIS REACTION. THUS, ONLY CARBON MONOXIDE, AMMONIA
AND OXYGEN (AIR) ARE CONSUMED IN THE OVERALL PROCESS FOR PRODUCTION OF UREA.