Urea phosphate is a 1:1 combination of

urea Urea, also called carbamide (because it is a diamide of carbonic acid), is an organic compound with chemical formula . This amide has two Amine, amino groups (–) joined by a carbonyl functional group (–C(=O)–). It is thus the simplest am ...

and

phosphoric acid Phosphoric acid (orthophosphoric acid, monophosphoric acid or phosphoric(V) acid) is a colorless, odorless phosphorus-containing solid, and inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is commonly encountered as an 85% aqueous solution, ...

that is used as a

fertilizer A fertilizer or fertiliser is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soil or to plant tissues to supply plant nutrients. Fertilizers may be distinct from liming materials or other non-nutrient soil amendments. Man ...

. It has an NPK formula of 17-44-0, and is soluble in water, producing a strongly acidic solution. Urea phosphate is available in fertilizer vendor bags that carry a ''UP'' signet on the packaging. It is sometimes added to blends which contain calcium nitrate, magnesium nitrate and

potassium nitrate Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound with a sharp, salty, bitter taste and the chemical formula . It is a potassium salt of nitric acid. This salt consists of potassium cations and nitrate anions , and is therefore an alkali metal nit ...

to produce water-soluble formulas such as 15-5-15 and 13-2-20. The acidity of urea phosphate allows Ca, Mg and P to co-exist in solution. Under less acidic conditions, there would be precipitation of Ca–Mg

phosphate Phosphates are the naturally occurring form of the element phosphorus. In chemistry, a phosphate is an anion, salt, functional group or ester derived from a phosphoric acid. It most commonly means orthophosphate, a derivative of orthop ...

s. Urea phosphate is often used in drip irrigation to clean pipe systems. The phosphoric acid and urea molecules in the urea phosphate crystal structure form a complex hydrogen-bonding network, with the hydrogen atoms bonding more strongly to urea molecules. It freely dissociates when dissolved in water. Urea phosphate is produced as a non-ionic

adduct In chemistry, an adduct (; alternatively, a contraction of "addition product") is a product of a direct addition of two or more distinct molecules, resulting in a single reaction product containing all atoms of all components. The resultant is ...

of urea and phosphoric acid, with the typical 17-44-0 grade of fertilizer produced using wet process phosphoric acid at concentrations that vary from 54% to 90%:

References

{{Reflist Phosphates Ureas