What is DEF?
DEF, short for diesel exhaust fluid, is a urea-based solution that reduces nitrogen oxide emissions from diesel engines.
It is composed of 32.5% high-purity urea, a naturally-occurring element, and 67.5% deionized water. It is clear, odorless and safe to handle.
The solution is added to a separate storage tank in vehicles equipped with SCR technology. The fluid is injected into the hot exhaust stream of the vehicle, turning the urea solution into ammonia. This process, known as selective catalytic reduction (SCR), helps break down the nitrogen oxide gases in the exhaust into nitrogen gas and water vapor, both harmless to the environment. By using diesel exhaust fluid, vehicles get better diesel performance, while the environment gets cleaner air.
Benefits of DEF
Using diesel exhaust fluid has many benefits:
It is one of the cheapest options for lowering NOx emissions. Any diesel vehicle with SCR technology can use DEF. There are no special filters or absorbers needed with this technology. The driver simply fills their DEF tank on a periodic basis and the SCR technology handles the rest. A gallon of diesel exhaust fluid is about the same cost as a gallon of diesel fuel, however a gallon of DEF will generally last about 300-500 miles.
It is quickly becoming the industry-standard on new diesel vehicles. Due to new 2010 EPA regulations, much stricter diesel emission standards will take effect. Manufacturers of diesel vehicles have already begun offering SCR technology to become complaint with these new regulations. Suppliers of diesel-powered heavy duty commercial engines and vehicles, including Detroit Diesel, Daimler Trucks North America, Cummins, Volvo Trucks, Mack Trucks, Peterbilt and Kenworth, will use SCR technology to meet the EPA 2010 standards. Additionally, Ford and GM will be using SCR technology in all of their 2010 diesel engine vehicles, while Chrysler also plans to implement the technology on several of their vehicle lines.
It is a widely-available product. Many truck stops now offer diesel exhaust fluid that can be pumped directly into the DEF tank. It can also be bought in easy-to-handle 2.5 gallon containers. And fleet owners can purchase DEF in bulk storage with custom dispensing solutions.
Regulations
Any chemical impurity in DEF can lead to failure of a SCR system. That is why it is very important to use only DEF products that meet ISO 22241 standards. Blue Sky meets the ISO 22241 standards as well as the American Petroleum Institute’s own measure of quality.
What is SCR?
SCR technology- Selective catalytic reduction technology, or SCR, was developed in 1957 as a way to effectively reduce nitrogen oxide emissions into the environment. Effective use of SCR technology can reduce NOx emissions by 70-95% SCR technology is used in many new diesel engine vehicles on the road today. It has also shown to improve fuel savings up to 5%.
How DEF and SCR work
Diesel exhaust fluid is added to a separate DEF storage tank in vehicles equipped with SCR technology. The fluid is injected into the hot exhaust stream of the vehicle, turning the urea solution into ammonia. This process helps break down the nitrogen oxide gases in the exhaust into nitrogen gas and water vapor, both harmless to the environment. By using Blue Sky DEF, better diesel performance is achieved, while the environment gets cleaner air.
