What is urea? We will tell simply and accessible

What is urea and what is the history of its origin? Why is it so called, where is it used? Let's try to understand.

History of the discovery of urea

It turns out that it has a direct relationship to urine. In 1773 the French chemist Iler Maren Ruel singled it out of human urine. Later, in 1828, a German chemist and physician Friedrich Wöhler, by evaporation of ammonium cyanate (NH ₄ CNO) dissolved in water, obtained from an inorganic substance an organic compound, similar in its characteristics to urea. It is from this event that the history of organic chemistry begins, since for the first time an organic compound was synthesized synthetically. Not every product of scientific research can boast of the fact that with its discovery a new science has appeared.

What urea is and where it comes from

And yet, urea - what is it? This is a chemical compound that has a solid structure and is a scattering of white or slightly colored crystalline granules without an odor. The urea formula is NH2CONH2. Its other name is carbamide. The substance is readily soluble in water. The result of the connection of carbamide with mineral acids of high chemical activity are salts.
On the question of what urea is, from the point of view of the physiology of the body, it can be answered that this is the final product of protein digestion in mammals and fish. Biochemical composition of blood necessarily contains urea. The maximum norm of urea in the blood of children under 14 years is 6.4 mmol / l, with age the urea content in the blood increases to 7.5 mmol / l.

The production of urea by industrial process takes place by synthesis of carbon dioxide and ammonia by Bazarov's reaction. Because of this, urea production is combined with the production of other products based on ammonia.

Why do I need urea

And what is urea in industry? For what purposes is it synthesized? In the industrial production of resins, adhesives used in the manufacture of fiberboard and in furniture production, carbamide of grade A is used. Urea of the same grade is used in the oil industry to remove paraffinic substances from oils and from fuel. At the same time, soft paraffin is produced, which is necessary for the production of protein-vitamin preparations, fatty acids and alcohols, and various detergents.

Another area of application of urea is the purification of outgoing smoke from nitrogen oxides from thermal power plants, garbage disposal plants, boiler houses, etc.

What is urea in the medical industry?

Urea refers to osmotic diuretics with a weak effect. It is a raw material for the manufacture of drugs that remove water from the human body (dehydration drugs). These drugs are necessary in the treatment of hydrocephalus, edema of the brain of various etiologies. In addition, carbamide is used to make sleeping pills.

I did not miss my chance to participate in the food industry. Food additive E927b is and is nothing but carbamide. It has foaming properties, acts as a flavor and aromatic food enhancer. Used in the manufacture of chewing gum, to improve the quality of flour and bakery products. When added to the yeast dough, urea acts as a nutrient medium and a provider of nitrogen for yeast cultures.

But the main part of the urea produced in our country (annually about 4 million tons per year) goes to agriculture. Manufactured from urea grade urea fertilizer urea is an invaluable supplier of nitrogen, since it in it - slightly more than 46%. Despite the fact that urea dissolves perfectly in water, it absorbs water very reluctantly. This positive characteristic is very valuable and allows you to harvest fertilizer in large volumes, without fear that the reserves are cobbled together and become a stone when stored. Carbamide possesses high chemical activity and is very readily absorbed by plants. Basically, urea is used in the stages of presowing treatment, planting green mass.