Investigations on the Liquid-Phase Decomposition of AdBlue Urea for the Selective Catalytic Reduction Process

Difficulties in decomposing AdBlue to ammonia limit the applicability of selective catalytic reduction systems at low exhaust temperatures. Investigations on the decomposition of AdBlue in the liquid phase under elevated pressure at temperatures up to 165 degrees C were carried out. Besides effects of inorganic catalysts, the impact of pH on urea decomposition was examined. After dissolution in aqueous phase, the compounds ZnO, WO3, and MoO3 were found to be effective in liquid-phase AdBlue decomposition. However, the efficiency was dropping significantly over few hours. Decomposition of AdBlue urea was also found to be favored for alkaline and acidic conditions.