Definition

• Urea is a water soluble white crystalline solid organic compound. It has the chemical formula of CO(NH2)2, containing 46 percent nitrogen. Urea is used both as cattle feed and fertilizer for providing nitrogen. In the context of "prilled urea," fertilization is the relevant use.
  
  

History

• Chemists first synthesized urea in the early 1800s.
  
  

Prilled Urea

• Prilled urea, or "prills" are formed by dropping liquid urea from a prilling tower into droplets that dry into roughly spherical shapes 1mm to 4 mm in diameter.
  
  

Granular Urea

• Granular urea is chemically the same as prilled urea. Granular urea, however, is slightly larger and harder. Today, the use of prilled urea is more prevalent because it is more resistant to breaking down when being blended with the other components of fertilizer.
  
  

Fun Fact

• Urea was the first organic compound successfully synthesized by chemists in the early 1800s.