Is DEF the same as Diesel?ĭiesel is the fuel. It can be stored in any container that does not corrode include steel, fiberglass, and plastic and while it should be kept in a cool, dry, and well-ventilated area, it won’t present much of a hazard in storage. That means it is transported in containers that are chosen because they will not corrode when exposed to DEF. What Type of Hazard Is Diesel Exhaust Fluid?ĭEF is non-toxic and safe to handle by human beings but that doesn’t mean it isn’t hazardous at all and the urea content of DEF is corrosive on certain metals (such as aluminum).

This is good news for the cats, which can carry on being utterly unbothered by all other occupants of the universe instead of becoming urea-producing machines. However, it’s much easier and cheaper to chemically synthesize urea on an industrial basis than to chain up a million cats to collect their urine and then extract the urea. Is DEF Made From Urine?ĭEF is not made from urine, though well done for noticing that urea is, indeed, the chief chemical product in urine. NO 2 causes acid rain if allowed to flow unchecked into the atmosphere, so the use of DEF is very environmentally friendly. The chemistry is quite complex but the effect of using DEF is to reduce much of the Nitric Oxide (NO 2) formed when burning diesel to harmless nitrogen gas, instead. How Is DEF used?ĭEF is added to diesel fuel and in a concentration that varies depending on the exact system but to roughly 2-6% of the overall fuel volume. This isn’t particularly likely when it comes to DEF, however, as the bottle it is stored in should melt before the DEF expands enough to cause this kind of hazard. The DEF could, in theory, expand enough to break the walls of the container resulting in an “explosion”. DEF fluid is not, under normal circumstances, at all flammable.īecause it is, essentially, just urea in water, any flames that might break out in the urea would be instantly extinguished by the volume of available water.Įven when mixed with diesel, the DEF does not catch fire but rather acts as a catalyst for the nitric oxide reduction reaction.Īlso read: Is Diesel Fuel Flammable? Can DEF Fluid Explode?ĭEF itself doesn’t burn, so it won’t explode directly but as with anything that is stored in canisters or bottles, there is a potential explosion hazard by heating the storage container.

Diesel exhaust fluid app