The research and development unit of Pardis Petrochemical Company, in collaboration with researchers from the Faculty of Modern Sciences and Technologies, University of Tehran, have succeeded in producing eco-friendly urea fertilizer for the first time in the world, managing director of the company said.
“Innovative nanoparticles that do not contain any chemicals or chemical solvents in their structure have been used in the process of producing the new urea, which does not damage the environment by preventing the slow release of formaldehyde into the atmosphere,” Gholamreza Jamshidi was also quoted as saying by the Oil Ministry’s news agency Shana.
“The product is the result of 13 years of research, which will help increase sales profit, raise product quality, enhance competitive advantage and attract new customers from developed countries.”
Slow-release fertilizers release a small and steady amount of nutrients over a course of time. Using such fertilizers eliminates the risk of fertilizer burn, while also staying in the soil longer.
Urea fertilizer is widely used in Iran and the world as a nitrogen supply for a group of plants, including wheat, barley, sunflower and sugarbeet.
About 150 million tons of urea fertilizer are used in the world annually, with the figure reaching 2 million tons in Iran.
One of the main exports of Iranian petrochemical companies to countries such as India and Brazil is the urea fertilizer. The annual production of this fertilizer in Iran is 6.5 million tons, of which 4.5 million tons are exported.
Other Usage
Azam Namdari, one of the directors of the project, noted that urea formaldehyde resin is also widely used in the wood industry to make adhesives.
“The use of this new type of urea in the production of wood adhesives can strengthen the product and also reduce the risk of formaldehyde release into the atmosphere,” she said.
“Another widespread use of urea is as a catalyst in the automotive industry.”
N2O is one of the gases contributing to the global warming and climate change, as well as a threat to human health. It is released into the atmosphere mostly from the exhaust of diesel vehicles and ships.
“Currently, water-soluble urea is used in car exhaust to convert this hazardous gas to harmless N2 gas, but if the temperature rises to 240° C, the urea is converted to biuret and cyanuric acid, and its catalytic properties are reduced and causes the release of carcinogens into the air,” Namdari said.
“The new urea decomposes at 353°C to produce cyanuric acid and therefore, hazardous substances are not released.”
Located in Pars Special Zone of Economy and Energy in the city of Asalouyeh, 270 km southeast of Bushehr Port, Pardis Petrochemical Company has one of the biggest urea and ammonia plants in the Middle East, producing 3.225 million tons of urea and 2.04 million tons of ammonia annually.
Urea output is planned to reach 15 million tons per annum by 2023 after the completion of several projects.
The global urea market exhibited stable growth during 2015-20. The market is expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of around 3% during 2021-26.
According to a recent report by the New York Times, prices for the chemical are soaring to levels not seen in a decade. In India, a lack of urea has made farmers fear for their livelihoods. In South Korea, it meant truck drivers couldn’t start their engines.
Urea is an important fertilizer, so rising prices could ultimately mean higher costs at dinner tables around the world. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s index of food prices is already at its highest level since 2011.
The coronavirus pandemic has caused huge numbers of people to face hunger, and increased food prices could cause even more to have trouble meeting basic dietary needs.
