DEF OVERVIEW

EPA MANDATE
As part of the Clean Air Act of 1970, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has mandated that all on-road diesel vehicles manufactured January 1, 2010 or later must reduce the harmful NOx emissions. All diesel vehicles from class I to class 8 are included in this requirement.
http://epa.gov/otaq/highway-diesel/index.htm

SCR TECHNOLOGY
The most widely accepted technology to reduce NOx will be to inject DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) into the exhaust of vehicles using Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology. The chemical reaction between DEF and the exhaust eliminates the NOx, resulting in harmless nitrogen and water being released into our atmosphere. This SCR technology has been in use in Europe for three years and has proven to substantially improve fuel economy as much as four to five percent (4-5%).

DIESEL EXHAUST FLUID (DEF)
The DEF product itself is made by blending one-third Urea and two-thirds de-ionized water. In Europe the trade name for DEF is AdBlue. In order for the SCR system to run most efficiently it is critical that the purity or product integrity be properly maintained throughout the supply chain.

DEF has very unique product characteristics. DEF will freeze below 12°F and will begin to deteriorate with extended storage above 86°F. If the product is used regularly then the length of storage is not an issue. We suggest investing in the proper size storage facility so that you can turn over the product at least once per month.

DEF product cannot be stored or dispensed using typical petroleum equipment. It is not compatible with carbon steel tanks or soft metals (iron, zinc, nickel, aluminum or copper). Fiberglass tanks and epoxy lined tanks have not been approved by the industry at this time. Remember that DEF product integrity is critical to the SCR system. Contaminated product from these sources will be very costly.

DEF is compatible with most plastic material (polyethylene and PVC), rubber and stainless steel (304 and 316). DEF is non-hazardous. More information can be found by clicking on this product information sheet.

ISO STANDARDS
In order to maintain the critical DEF product integrity, the SCR industry has adopted strict DEF manufacturing, blending, storage, dispensing and testing standards. These standards will be monitored and certified by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and are part of ISO 22241.