Just as a whole batch of new fifty state-legal diesel vehicles are about to hit the market in the U.S., chemical company BASF is set to take advantage of the situation. BASF has announced that they will be raising the price of AdBlue by €45 per 1,000 liters. AdBlue is the 1/3 urea, 2/3 water solution used for the NOx after-treatment system in new diesel engines. The urea solution is injected into the exhaust gas stream where the heat of the exhaust causes it turn into ammonia by a hydrolysis reaction. The ammonia reacts with the exhaust in a special catalyst to turn the NOx into nitrogen and water.

The only reason for using the urea solution instead of straight urea is to allow for more precise dosing so that it lasts longer and no excess is used and passed through the exhaust. The Mercedes and BMW vehicles that are coming to market with urea injection systems that hold about 4-5 gallons of AdBlue which needs to be replenished every 15,000 miles or so. BASF claims the price increase is due to tight raw material supplies and the need to ensure product quality.

[Source: BASF]

Most people probably don't know the name PACCAR but they've surely seen Peterbilt, Kenworth and DAF. Those are three of the biggest medium and heavy duty truck brands on the market . The smoky exhaust from those big diesel trucks has surely annoyed most drivers and pedestrians at some point in time. PACCAR produces trucks under those brands and others that are used around the world. The company has announced plans to meet 2010 diesel emissions requirements by adding exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and urea injection systems (SCR) to their engines. The 2010 standard will require an eighty percent reduction in NOx emissions compared to 2007 levels, so PACCAR is following the same path chosen by a number of automakers including Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Hyundai-Kia. PACCAR is getting suppliers lined up to ensure that urea solution is readily available to operators when the new engines roll out in 2010.

[Source: PACCAR]