WearCheck Water earns AdBlue/DEF analysis accreditation
February 2025Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
WearCheck Water, a division of condition monitoring specialist, Wearcheck recently became the first laboratory in Africa to be officially ISO17025 accredited to test AdBlue diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) by the South African National Accreditation System (SANAS). This latest achievement adds to WearCheck Water’s other accreditations. The company already has ISO17025:2017 accreditation for chemical and microbiological water analysis.
WearCheck Water’s AdBlue/DEF analysis accreditation means that the company can test AdBlue/DEF solutions to ensure that Adblue manufacturers meet the required ISO 22241 standards. This analysis service will assist AdBlue/DEF manufacturers and users, OEMs, fuel depots and large-scale truckers and fleet managers.
SANAS is the only national body in South Africa responsible for carrying out accreditation of entities- including laboratory testing- the relevant section regulating WearCheck’s laboratory services.
General manager of WearCheck Water, Thelma Horsfield, is proud of the company’s ISO17025 achievements. AdBlue, a form of diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), helps to reduce harmful Nox emissions and is added to diesel engines. It is not a fuel additive and is not added to the fuel tank of a vehicle. AdBlue is a colourless, non-toxic liquid that converts pollutants into gases which do not harm the environment.
AdBlue is used in vehicles with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology. It is a 32,5% solution of high-purity, synthetically manufactured urea in demineralised water, and is safe to use. Vehicles with SCR technology have a separate tank filled with AdBlue/DEF, which is injected into the exhaust pipe in front of the SCR catalyst, downstream of the engine. Heated in the exhaust, it decomposes into ammonia and CO2. When the NOx from the engine exhaust reacts with the ammonia, the harmful NOx molecules in the exhaust are converted to harmless nitrogen and water, which are released from the exhaust pipe as steam.
Adblue/DEF solutions are made up to ISO 22241 standards to ensure that the mixtures are created correctly and do not harm engines. Moses Lelaka, technical manager for WearCheck Water was instrumental in setting up and implementing the testing process, along with the company’s quality manager, Lorato Hotane.
Lelaka says, “We offer an analysis service that includes testing alkalinity, insoluble matter, biuret, aldehydes and metals. After investing in a refractometer for our laboratory, we are already conducting the tests in our Johannesburg laboratory, and will be extending this service to our Cape Town laboratory soon.”
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