What is the difference between granular and prilled urea?

Prilling Process and Prill Definition - Kreber

Prilling: A Revolutionary Finishing Technology

Prilling is an extremely effective finishing technology and offers many advantages over other solidification methods. But what exactly is prilling? And what is a prill? To understand prilling, we need to examine both the main principles of the process and the end product.

History of Prilling

In 1782, William Watts, a plumber from Bristol, UK, discovered prilling. After a dream about molten lead forming perfect spherical balls as it fell from an elevated height, he experimented and found that molten lead fed through holes and allowed to fall would solidify into spherical droplets, which came to be known as prills. This marked the inception of a process that still forms the basis of modern prilling technology.

What is Prilling?

Prilling is widely utilized in the chemical industry to convert molten streams of material into solid, spherical particles called prills, typically between 500 and 4000 micrometers in size. The prilling process involves three main components: the prilling machine, the prilling tower, and the cooling medium.

Prilling Machine

The prilling machine forms the melt into droplets which then solidify into prills. It's designed to suit the material being prilled and the desired prill size.

Prilling Tower

The prilling tower cools and solidifies the droplets. The height of the tower often ranges from 20m to over 60m, typically made from cement or steel, depending on the material's corrosiveness.

Cooling Medium

In the prilling tower, droplets interact with a cooling medium, usually air, which cools and solidifies the prills. Modern advancements allow for other cooling media like nitrogen, reducing environmental dust emission.

What are Prills?

Prills are spherical particles produced by the prilling process and are preferred for their free-flowing nature, making them easy to handle and distribute, especially useful in the fertilizer industry.

Future of Prilling

New innovations like the closed-loop system, which reuses the cooling gas, are making prilling more environmentally friendly and efficient.

Benefits of Prilling

Prilling is favored for large outputs due to its cost-effectiveness, flexibility, guaranteed continuity, energy efficiency, convenient operation, small footprint, and compliance with emission standards.

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Difference between Prilled and Granular Urea

Granular Urea vs. Prilled Urea: Key Differences

The main difference between granular and prilled urea lies in their size and application. Granular urea particles are larger, measuring around 2-4 mm, while prills are smaller, generally between 0.5-2 mm. The larger size of granular urea makes it less prone to dust formation, allowing for easier handling and application via mechanical spreaders over vast agricultural areas.

In contrast, prilled urea, with its smaller particles, is more suited for applications requiring quick dissolution once applied to the soil. Prilled urea is often used in wet applications or where rapid nitrogen availability to plants is desired.

Both forms have unique advantages depending on specific agricultural needs. Understanding these differences helps in choosing the most suitable type for efficient fertilizer application. For more detailed comparisons, visit our comprehensive guide: prilled urea vs granular urea.

Conclusion

The choice between prilled and granular urea depends on factors such as application method, desired dissolution rate, and field conditions. Both types provide essential benefits for enhancing crop production, with prilled urea offering quick nitrogen release and granular urea providing ease of handling and longevity in soil.

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