AdBlue™ Hose Specifications

Hose should really be made from an inert material, only a couple of manufacturers have developed a hose specifically for use with AdBlue. These are Elaflex and Parker ITR.

It is possible to use hoses which are not specifically produced for use with AdBlue but special care must be taken to ensure that the hose material and specification is correct.

Most hoses are plastic or rubber based. The most common problem with incorrect hose material selection is that many hoses are used which rely on Zinc and Calcium Carbonate as part of their production.

Zinc is often used as a catalyst to cure plastic hoses as they are released from the mould, this element in time will leach into the AdBlue solution and bring the acceptable levels of Zinc above the 0.2mg/Kg limit as defined within DIN70070. Hoses of this nature must NEVER be used as a suction pipe which remains either immersed in AdBlue solution or holds the product for extended periods of time.

Calcium Carbonate is the other common problem with hose manufacture, unlike Zinc, it is not used as part of the composition for the hose but as a lubricant to ensure that rubber based hoses are released from the mandrel as they are extruded. The Calcium Carbonate coats the inner wall of the hose and as with Zinc can leach into the AdBlue product over time. The limit for Calcium in the DIN70070 standard is 0.5mg/Kg.

It is possible to remove the calcium carbonate by curing the hose with peroxide.

Below is information relating to each hose material.

PVC
Suitable but offer little flexibility during cold weather. Its production process must not include Zinc if the PVC pipe is to be used in permanent contact with the AdBlue solution.

Viton
Entirely suitable but limited flexibility limits suitability as a delivery hose. Best suited to suction and feed hoses. One of the more expensive hoses to produce.

EPDM
ONLY suitable if they are peroxide cured and do not contain Zinc as part of their manufacture.

Teflon
Perfect but can prove expensive, they are mostly produced convoluted to offer higher levels of flexibility, they are often stainless over braided to offer protection, 

NBR
Rarely suitable as they can degrade quickly in this application and often use both Zinc and Calcium carbonate as part of their production process.

PU Lined PVC
Must be produced without using either Zinc or Calcium Carbonate as part of their production, offers little flexibility at low temperatures.

FEP lined
Good suitability but one of the most expensive, best option for hose reel and forecourt applications.

XLDPE
As with Viton, not really suitable for delivery hoses, as with other lined hoses care must be taken to use smooth bore hose tails instead of serrated tails so as to not damage the inner hose wall.

 

Equipment Index

Storage Systems | Flow Meters | Dispensing Pumps | Nozzles | Tank Equipment

AdBlue™ is a trademark of the Verband der Automobilindustrie e.V. (VDA). www.vda.de