
Urea is a compound in Nitrogen that turns to ammonia when heated and is used in a variety of industries.

What exactly is Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF)?įrom a strictly chemical disposition DEF is a mixture of 67.5% deionized water and 32.5% urea. This article aims to go over the cold hard facts about DEF and educate the populace into making smarter diesel operator decisions. For those not willing to accept the changes there has been a shift to older used diesel engines or remanufactured diesel engines that have been grandfathered in. Still there are two factions of diesel guys out there those who have accepted to the EPA changes and those who are still vehemently against any regulations whatsoever despite the work around technological advancements. The DEF is stored in a separate tank which is insulated and heated and is marked by a blue filler cap. Since the DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) is introduced in the exhaust, also called after-treatment technology, the manufacturer is free to build as much power as they want. The vast majority of these systems use diesel exhaust fluid (mixture of urea and deionized water) sprayed into the exhaust system to break down the generated NOx into harmless nitrogen and water molecules. The engineering breakthrough came through the use of the selective catalytic reduction. Every one of the manufacturers figured out a way to cut down on the NOx levels all the while making more horsepower and torque than ever before. It turns out that Americans truly do adapt and overcome. However, something spectacular happened and the complete opposite thing occurred.

Many thought that the era of big power and torque were over and vowed to never purchase a new truck ever again. In 2010 the regulations got even tighter. All of that changed in 2008 with the EPA required the use of diesel particulate filters on all three-quarter-ton and larger trucks as well as required biannual smog tests which included a visual inspection of the vehicle to make sure the DPF parts were still on the truck. For many years owners of three-quarter and one-ton light duty pickup trucks enjoyed no additional smog equipment on their vehicles.

For 46 years the EPA has been constantly evolving and enacting laws to address the environmental needs of this country. The Environmental Protection Agency was created in the footsteps of the Clean Air Act of 1970. 20 Facts You Need To Know About Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF)
