Process for the production of granular nitrogenous compounds

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF PRODUCING UREA GRANULES WHICH COMPRISES FORMING AND MAINTAINING IN A ROTATABLE, HORIZONTALLY ELONGATED CONTACT ZONE A BED OF MOVING SOLID PARTICLES OF UREA; ADDING FINELY DIVIDED SOLID PARTICLES OF UREA TO SAID BED; ADVANCING SAID PARTICLES THROUGH SAID CONTACT ZONE; CONTINUOUSLY RAISING SOLID PARTICLES FROM SAID BED TO THE UPPER REGION OF SAID CONTACT ZONE, RELEASING THE RAISED SOLID PARTICLES TO CASCADE DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID CONTACT ZONE AS A CONTINUOUS CURTAIN OF SOLID UREA PARTICLES EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THE LENGTH OF SAID CONTACT ZONE, TO SAID BED; SPRAYING, AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 5 TO ABOUT 25 CENTIGRADE DEGREES ABOVE ITS CRYSTALLIZATION TEMPERATURE, MOLTEN, SUBSTANTIALLY ANHYDROUS UREA ONTO SAID BED AND INTO THE CURTAIN OF SOLID PARTICLES CASCADING DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID CONTACT ZONE ONTO SAID BED; AND CONTINUOUSLY PASSING A CURRENT OF COOLING AIR THROUGH SAID CONTACT ZONE COUNTER-CURRENT TO THE DIRECTION OF ADVANCE OF SAID PARTICLES.