AD Mixture – Half of the ‘Urea’ ADBLUE Market in Ukraine Recognized as Substandard

Experts from the Institute of Consumer Expertise conducted the first study of ‘urea’ for diesel vehicles. Half of the samples tested were found to be beyond the standards requirements, which is bad news for motorists and owners of truck fleets, as well as for pedestrians and city residents.

Why is this important? The increase in environmental standards has led to the complication of vehicle designs by adding components and systems that allow these standards to be met. For diesel engines, such an improvement is the addition of the AdBlue reagent, which helps to clean exhaust gases to the ecological Euro 4 norms and above. And if it used to mainly concern trucks, such systems are now being massively implemented in passenger cars after ‘dieselgate’. This is why separate ‘urea’ columns have recently started to appear at filling stations. Technologically, the fluid is quite simple to produce (compared to fuel, for example), but the quality of the components, correct dosages, and storage conditions are very important here. However, if the reagent is not of good quality, this inexpensive fluid can destroy the fuel system, which in diesel cars can cost many thousands of dollars to repair. Additionally, we all breathe the air into which dangerous oxides enter due to poor quality components, which can lead to various diseases. Experts from the Institute of Consumer Expertise examined who in Ukraine produces and sells quality or dangerous ‘urea’.

How it works

The principle of operation of the SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) system is based on a chemical reaction, where the urea solution enters the exhaust gas system of a diesel engine, where in the presence of a catalyst (vanadium pentoxide V2O5), this reaction occurs. As a result, nitrogen oxides NOx, harmful to the environment, decompose into water and nitrogen under the influence of high temperature.

The best part is that the process is so automated that the driver only needs to occasionally refill the special fluid, and the exhaust is guaranteed to be clean. Given that the urea consumption is about 2-3 liters per 1000 km, the vehicle’s tank (usually from 10 to 20 liters) should be enough for 10-15 thousand km.

Where to refill AdBlue

Problems with purchasing AdBlue can only arise for the lazy. A simple Google search today gives hundreds of results of any manufacturer, type, volume, and most importantly, for any budget. The price is about 15-40 UAH per liter. Though, one still needs to deal with the refueling process. But it is much easier to refill the required amount while grabbing fuel at a gas station. Here, the operator will do everything for you and only leaves you to pay for the refilled liquid. Although the list of gas stations where the operator actually understands what it’s about is not yet large, in case of need you can always call the hotline of a network and they will tell you where you can refill AdBlue.

Many fuel market players have already introduced AdBlue into their range. Usually, each network offers one exclusive option, so there is no choice. As for producers, the most significant Ukrainian ones are the CrossChem factory located in the village of Zurovka, Kyiv region, and the Ukrainian-British joint enterprise AZMOL-BR.

The BRSM-Nafta group produces the reagent itself for sale in its network. It is important to note that this product is called EcoBlue. It is produced according to its own technical specifications and is not a patented AdBlue reagent.

At other filling stations, imports are mainly offered from Poland. In the research, in addition to the Ukrainian-made samples, the Noxy (OKKO), Gaschema (Socar), and M-Standard (Marshall) reagents produced in Poland, Lithuania, and Belarus, respectively, were targeted.

Almost all manufacturers offer both refueling at gas stations and buying AdBlue in cans as an option.

Cleanliness is the key to health

However, since some manufacturers could quite likely offer a specially watered-down agricultural urea solution, this is a direct path to catalyst failure, and the cost of a new one is around 5 thousand euros. Therefore, it is advisable to refuel with a proven product, as the savings could otherwise prove to be very costly.

It should be noted that producers strive to meet the standards as far as the main parameters are concerned. Experts have recognized urea from AZMOL-BR and CrossChem as the most pure and safest for operation. For all tested parameters, AdBlue from these manufacturers meets all ISO 22241 standards.

Following them is BRSM-Nafta, but here the sodium concentration exceeds the allowable norm by more than 3 times, making it impossible to call it high quality. These indications may suggest poor water purification used for the reagent during production, and salts from such water can block the pores of the catalyst.

In samples from Gaschema and M-Standard, an increased value of biuret (carbamylurea) was noted, which indirectly indicates the use of low-quality agricultural raw materials. Gaschema also has an exaggerated mass concentration of aldehydes, magnesium, and sodium, which is 3 times higher for BRSM-Nafta.

All these impurities negatively affect the catalyst’s operation, leading to a decrease in its efficiency, and eventually, the entire advantage of the exhaust gas cleaning system will be lost when it fails in its original purpose. With significant excess impurity levels, it can even lead to lime deposits accumulating, obstructing the SCR block, and later the entire exhaust system. This is especially relevant when considering Gaschema’s mass calcium concentration, which exceeds the norm by 40 (!) times.

Drawing conclusions

The urea refueling service is currently developing. Whether to purchase this product in cans or to refill at the nearest gas station is up to the motorist. But as always, the choice should be made responsibly, because the expensive system of your car can easily endure 1-2 refuels with substandard reagent, but if they become regular, it won’t last long. All claim to comply with standards, but the test shows that Ukrainian-produced reagents exceed imported analogs significantly, while their price is much cheaper than foreign counterparts.

It is also important to note another problem. Recently, mainly in areas near the western borders, there have been ‘naliayki’ of counterfeit ‘urea’, naturally, at a throwaway price. Usually, it’s just a plain plastic barrel by the roadside. Experts are yet to determine what is being sold there, but they are already warning motorists – never buy urea there as it can become a fatal mistake.

Research results of samples from LLC “EXPERTISE CONSULTANT”