What is DEF and How Does it Work?

In a world filled with acronyms, sometimes it's easy to forget that not everyone knows the words behind the letters. As we talk about fuel and businesses requiring a variety of oil-related products, you may have been left wondering, "What is DEF?" The short answer is that DEF, or Diesel Exhaust Fluid, is an important component in keeping heavy-duty trucks and machinery operating within federal emission guidelines. What DEF is, at a chemical level, is a combination of deionized water and urea that transform harmful nitrous oxide emissions into harmless water and gas. Starting in 2010, DEF became a major need for companies using medium and heavy-duty Diesel vehicles. Changes in EPA emission standards required reductions in diesel burning engines to reduce their pollution output to the lowest levels in history, and Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) is the technology of choice for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). As this emission standard has increased to include off-road vehicles, generators and a variety of engines, DEF is being used now more than ever. Assumedly, as regulations increase, DEFs importance in keeping emissions down will continue to be high.