Urea N46 Fertilizer: Prilled vs. Granular Specifications

Urea (46% Nitrogen) is the world’s most concentrated solid nitrogen fertilizer. It is the primary engine for green growth (chlorophyll synthesis) in global agriculture. WorldwideTradeX provides high-purity Urea N46, treated for maritime stability and optimized for high-yield arable farming and industrial resin production.

Prilled vs. Granular Selection
The Biuret Factor: Crop Safety
Anti-Caking & Long-Haul Storage
Technical Specifications Table

1. Urea Formats: Prilled vs. Granular

Choosing the correct format depends on your application method.

Prilled Urea (1-2.4mm): Smaller diameter, produced via prilling towers. Rapidly soluble—preferred for fertigation, pasture surface dressing, and industrial AdBlue production.

Granular Urea (2-4mm): Larger, harder granules produced by accretion. Ideal for bulk blending with DAP/MOP, mechanically spreaders, and controlled release in broadacre cereals.

2. Technical Purity: The Biuret Constraint

Biuret is a byproduct of heating urea and can be phytotoxic (toxic to plants).

Standard Grade: Biuret content < 1.0%. Suitable for soil application in most field crops.

Low-Biuret Grade: Biuret < 0.5%. Mandatory for foliar sprays and sensitive horticulture (citrus, pineapple).

3. Moisture Protection & Logistics

Urea is highly hygroscopic (absorbs water).

Anti-Caking Agent: All WTX urea is treated with formaldehyde-based surface conditioning to ensure free-flowing properties after 30+ days in sea transit.

Packaging: 50kg PE/PP bags or 1,000kg Jumbo Bags. Bulk vessel options (Handymax) available for port-to-port supply.

4. Technical Specifications: Fertilizer Hub

Parameter	Agricultural Standard	WTX Premium Result
Nitrogen (N)	46.0% Min	46.2%
Biuret	1.0% Max	0.8% - 1.0%
Moisture	0.5% Max	0.3%
Granulation	2.0 - 4.0 mm	90% Uniformity
Color	Pure White	Pure White

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Urea N46 and why is it the most traded nitrogen fertilizer?

Urea N46 contains 46% nitrogen by weight — the highest nitrogen concentration of any solid fertilizer. This makes it the most cost-efficient nitrogen source per unit of nutrient delivered. It is produced from ammonia and CO2, and is traded in prilled or granular form.

What is the difference between prilled and granular urea?

Prilled urea has smaller, rounder particles (1–2.5mm) and is produced by spraying molten urea from a prilling tower. Granular urea has larger, harder particles (2–4mm) and better storage/handling properties. Granular is preferred for bulk blending and mechanical spreading; prilled is cheaper to produce.

How is urea priced in international trade?

Urea is priced against the Middle East FOB (Yuzhne/Nopef) or Black Sea FOB benchmarks, published by Argus and Platts. Prices are highly seasonal — demand peaks before planting seasons (spring in Northern Hemisphere). China's export policy significantly influences global price levels.

What are standard quality specs for export-grade Urea N46?

Minimum nitrogen: 46.0%, biuret maximum 1.0% (biuret damages crops at high levels), moisture maximum 0.5%, free ammonia maximum 160 ppm. Granular urea additionally requires crush strength above 3 kg/granule for handling durability.