AdBlue®
Trucks, industrial and farming vehicles, and cars with diesel motors and SCR catalysts need AdBlue® as an additional fuel. AdBlue® is a 32.5% solution of pure urea in demineralized water, which is injected directly into the exhaust stream, controlled by the engine.
Environmentally harmful nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the exhaust fumes are converted into harmless water vapour and nitrogen with the help of AdBlue®. This process allows vehicles to meet legal standards for exhaust fumes.
Globally represented – locally supplied
Brenntag is one of the largest AdBlue® distributors around the globe. We have many years of experience of handling this high-quality product, and have established an extensive network of suppliers and providers that efficiently supplies our customers locally.
When you buy AdBlue® from Brenntag, you benefit from its special logistical and consulting concepts that ensure high quality across the entire AdBlue® supply chain. With Brenntag as your partner, you can guarantee that your company meets the highest standards in terms of safety, environmental protection, quality, and technology.
Brenntag supplies AdBlue® products and services across Austria in various forms:
- Canister with spout, 3 litres (pallet of 144 items)
- Canister with spout, 10 litres (pallet of 60 items)
- Barrel, 220 litres (pallet of 2 items)
- IBC container, 1,000 litres
- Bulk product in tanker (from 3,000 litres per delivery)
We are happy to integrate your permanent AdBlue® tanks into Brenntag’s remote monitoring system. Using Brenntag’s telemetric solutions, we can make sure that the tanks at your locations are filled on time.
Please get in touch with us if you have any queries.
What is AdBlue®?
The chemistry behind it: The urea dissolved in AdBlue® contains ammonia (NH3). In the SCR catalyst, this NH3 reacts selectively with the nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the exhaust fumes. This reaction produces water (H2O) and nitrogen (N2).
AdBlue® is also known as AUS32 (Aqueous Urea Solution 32.5 %). The quality parameters for the production of AdBlue® are specified in the ISO 22241, and CEFIC AUS32 standards. In addition to containing a specified concentration of the urea solution, AdBlue® must also meet strict quality standards. These specify the permissible limits for metals, minerals, and other elements that may harm various components of the SCR system, such as the catalyst, the pump, and the injection jets. On-board diagnostic systems are increasingly used in vehicles to check the quality of the AdBlue® that is being filled in.
When selecting your AdBlue® supplier, it is important to be aware of its standards of quality across the entire supply chain. Brenntag meets all of these criteria.
The urea solution is not a hazardous material, which means that no special safety measures need to be taken during transport or handling. Water pollution class 1.
However, urea is not compatible with certain materials and must therefore be stored and transported in containers that are resistant to contact with the product.
When storing AdBlue®, direct sun exposure and temperatures below -5°C and above +30°C must be avoided to ensure that the product retains its properties for the maximum duration of 12 months.
AdBlue® from synthesis and dissolution
SCR systems are very sensitive to the quality of the AdBlue® that is used. To avoid damage to the system, it is therefore very important that AdBlue® adheres to specific requirements, and that it is not contaminated during production, transport, packaging, and storage.
AdBlue® can be extracted by using two different manufacturing processes: synthesis or dissolution. Synthesis carries little risk and has a number of advantages, while the dissolution process carries higher risks. Romana Chimici (Brenntag Group) has developed a special system for the dissolution process, which is regulated by procedures that guarantee the same quality as that of the synthesis products. Among other things, this includes an automated state-of-the-art system for the production of demineralized water, as well as internal and external analytic labs for monitoring the production batches.
The differences between the two AdBlue® manufacturing processes are described below:
AdBlue® from synthesis:
- Product that is obtained directly from the industrial manufacturing process of ammonia/urea.
- The product is purer. There is no danger of contamination
- Consistent quality for every production batch
- The product is always in a liquid form during production Complete tracing of every batch
AdBlue® from dissolution:
- Product that is obtained by dissolving solid urea in demineralized water.
- Possible contamination during the various stages of production
- No consistency of quality in individual batches
- The dissolution of the solids requires the use of foreign substances (release agents) It is difficult to identify the provenance of solid urea
Please note that the location of the AdBlue® tank can vary depending on the manufacturer and model. The notes in the vehicle manufacturer’s operating instructions must be followed. AdBlue® is a registered trademark of the Verband der Automobilindustrie e.V. (VDA).
SCR - selective catalytic reduction, a process for treating exhaust fumes
IBC - intermediate bulk containers, used for transport and storage of liquid and free-flowing products