Treatment of urea solutions

Claim 1

A decomposer for the treatment of a urea melt from a synthesis reactor, said melt containing urea, free ammonia, water, unreacted ammonium carbamate and by products, said decomposer comprising: a central body, an upper head piece secured to said central body, a lower bottom piece secured to said central body, urea melt feed means connected to said bottom piece, a first tube bundle deposed within said central body having two ends, one of said ends being connected to said urea feed means, said first tube bundle being oriented vertically and defining a first zone, first heat means for heating said first zone, a second tube bundle disposed within said central body having two ends, one of which is operatively associated with the other end of said first tube bundle said second tube bundle being oriented vertically and defining a second zone, second heat means for heating said second zone, a collector in said lower bottom piece connected to the other end of said second tube bundle, and vapor collector means in said upper heat piece for collecting vapor from said first and second zones and for discharging the same; said first tube bundle and said first heat means being sized so that a substantial amount of ammonia is distilled and carbamate is partially decomposed; said second tube bundle and second heat means being sized so that the bulk of carbamate is decomposed and the residual ammonia is distilled; whereby the urea melt enters and flows upwardly through said first tube bundle concurrently with the vapors produced in said first zone by said first heat means and subsequently flows downwardly as a thin liquid film through said second tube bundle countercurrently with the vapors produced in said second zone by said second heat means while said vapors are collected in said upper head piece and discharged and the thereby treated urea is collected in said bottom piece.