Why Diesel Exhaust Fluid is Becoming Increasingly Vital

Diesel exhaust fluid(DEF)is a urea-water combination that is pumped into the exhaust pipe of diesel automobiles to convert NOx gasses (hazardous pollutants) to nitrogen and water.

Automobile manufacturers introduced a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology to meet EPA (environmental protective agency) emissions limits in 2010. This is a strategy to achieve the requirements without sacrificing engine performance or fuel economy. DEF isn't a fuel additive, and it's kept in its own tank.

Why is DEF required?

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been continually changing and implementing laws to combat the nation's environmental requirements for 46 years. For several decades at least, proprietors of 3 and one-ton light-duty pickup trucks were not required to install extra smog technology.

All of that ended in 2008, when the Environmental Protection Agency mandated use of certain diesel particulate filters on all 3-ton and larger vehicles, as well as periodic smog testing that used a visual assessment of the truck to ensure the DPF parts were still there. The rules were tightened even more in 2010.

How does SCR function?

To begin with, although being enforced by the EPA only within the last ten years or so, selective catalyst reduction is not a new technique. It is often used to decrease nitrous oxide from coal-fired energy plants for nearly 50 years.

As a result, in an SCR-equipped car, the exhaust gas from the engine passes through a particle filter first, catching all of the smoke and ash produced from the combustion of relatively dirty fuel.

The exhaust gas is sprayed with diesel exhaust fluid as it passes through a pump after passing through the particulate filter. DEF is manufactured with deionized water and ultrapure urea. Although urea is found in urine, it is a pure form of the molecule that is primarily employed in agriculture as a fertilizers component.

The heated exhaust air and DEF are then sent into the catalytic converter, in which the urea in the DEF and the exhaust gas interact with a range of metallic elements to turn nitrous oxide and monoxide to nitrogen and water. Nitrogen is the most abundant element in the air we breathe and is completely environmentally safe. Water is just that: water.

This is certainly a simplified description of how SCR works, but other than the extra step of injecting urea into the exhaust stream, it's very similar to how your gasoline-powered car's catalytic converter works. To minimize pollution, majority modern diesel engines employ SCR in conjunction with exhaust gas recirculation and a diesel particulate filter (DPF).

Why is DEF becoming increasingly vital?

In several industries, DEF (diesel exhaust fluid) is now the standard. Massive vehicles and heavy equipment processes, including both worksites and in movable or distant operations, demand it.

The long-term advantages of increased fuel efficiency and reduced pollution much exceed the modest disadvantage of needing to apply this fluid to our machinery as required.

The range of deft tanks and dispensing equipment continues to grow. Users can choose from a variety of equipment based on their demands and supply.

If you need diesel exhaust fluid and dispensing equipment, contact us at Susquehanna Sales and Services to get yours today.