Commonly mistaken for a fuel additive, Adblue is a fluid used most commonly within the Euro 4&5 engines. It is in fact, so essential to their functionality, they are unable to operate without it.
The cleansing process is carried out with the Adblue solution being injected into the exhaust gasses cleaing the exhaust gasses before they enter the atmosphere. It is Stored specifically within a separate tank on the vehicle, specifically measured and applied through spraying into the exhaust manifold, reacting with the gasses within it, creating the cleansing and catalytic effect.
Whilst producing the desired effect, reducing the release of harmful chemicals, the Adblue consumption is typically around 3% – 5+% of the diesel consumption for a typical vehicle, dependent of loading weight and other relative factors.
Since 2006, Adblue been a fundamental requirement affecting the modes of transport including bus and trucks produced on or after that date. Dependent on the truck and mileage it is generally acknowledged that vehicles Adblue will need to be replenished circa every 10 days, based on each vehicle having a 80 – 90 litre adblue tank. This generally equates to around 1000 litres each month for each vehicle and is not required to apply retrospectively, due to the difficulties in applying the requirement to older modes of transport.
There are very stringent quality and regulatory standards in place to govern the way it is produced and to ensure that it conforms with government regulations including the DIN70070 and ISO22241 standards. By upholding and complying with the relevant guidelines the Adblue will perform its role to the highest standards but due to nature of the product it is easy to compromise the overall quality. Such things include handling and storage to name the most prevalent types of misuse, and it is not uncommon for vehicle manufacturers to fail to support warranties if this type of misuse has occurred.
The two most important things to remember when handling and storing Adblue is the storage temperature, which should never fall below -11°C, and secondly to prevent any foreign objects from coming into contact with the solution causing contamination.
To conclude, Adblue is a fundamental resource for many modes of transport and is so important it has been made an essential regulation that requires strict adherence and governance. Due to the nature of the product it is essential to maintain its natural state and not to compromise its condition in any way, particularly those involving chaging temperatures and foreign. Handling Adblue requires care and consideration and these measures should not be overlooked under any circumstances. Therefore having a good relationship with Adblue suppliers such as Compass Fuels is highly recommended