AdBlue® is a simple product: 32.5% high-purity urea in de-ionised water. It is also sensitive to how it is kept. Heat shortens its life, dirt and the wrong metals contaminate it, and a container left open on a dusty site can turn good product into something that damages an SCR system. Storing it properly isn't complicated, though. The same few rules apply whether you keep a handful of drums on a workshop shelf or a bulk tank at a depot.
The basic rules for any container
Whatever the pack size, these principles apply:
- Keep it cool and shaded. The recommended storage range is about −11°C to 30°C. Direct sun is the main enemy, because heat slowly breaks urea down into ammonia.
- Keep it sealed. Lids and caps stay on until you dispense and go back on straight after. Open containers collect dust and lose water through evaporation, which changes the concentration.
- Keep it dedicated. Containers, pumps, hoses and funnels used for AdBlue should never be used for anything else.
- Use the right materials. Stainless steel, HDPE and polypropylene are fine. Carbon steel, aluminium, copper, brass and galvanised steel are not.
- Rotate stock. First in, first out. Shelf life depends on storage temperature, so older stock gets used first.
Storing drums (10 L to 210 L)
Small drums of 10, 15 and 20 litres suit workshops, utes and small fleets. Store them indoors or under cover, off the floor on a shelf or pallet, and away from heaters, compressors and sunny walls. A tin shed in summer can get far hotter than the outside air, so don't assume that indoors automatically means cool.
Keep drums upright with caps done up tight. If you decant from a drum into a vehicle, use a clean jug or spout that lives with the AdBlue, not the general workshop funnel that also sees oil and coolant.
A 210 L drum is usually dispensed with a hand drum pump, either lever or rotary. Leave the pump in the drum only if the bung seal keeps dust out. Otherwise remove it, cap the drum and store the pump somewhere clean. Once a drum is opened, plan to use it steadily rather than leaving it half-full in a corner for a year.
Storing IBCs (1,000 L)
A full 1,000 L IBC weighs about 1,150 kg, so it needs a forklift. Decide where it will live before it arrives, because once it is full you don't want to be moving it around.
- Place it on firm, level ground or a purpose-built stand. A gravity feed setup needs the IBC raised so the outlet sits above the vehicle filler.
- Keep it out of direct sun. Under a roof or awning is ideal; an insulated IBC cover helps where shade isn't available.
- Keep the top lid closed, and keep the outlet valve clean and capped between uses.
- Check the tamper seals are intact on delivery, and run one IBC through to empty before connecting the next.
Storing in bulk tanks
For sites using more than one or two IBCs a month, a bulk tank is often simpler. AdBlue tanks are usually HDPE or stainless steel, either single-skin or bunded (double-wall). Product arrives by tanker, so there is less handling and fewer opened containers on site.
A sound tank installation includes:
- A sealed breather that keeps dust and insects out.
- A level gauge or remote monitoring, so you reorder before running low.
- A high-level alarm to prevent overfilling during delivery.
- An inline filter after the pump to protect nozzles, meters and vehicles.
- Shade, or a position away from full afternoon sun.
Bunding and site storage rules vary between states and site types, so check with your state EPA and your site's own requirements before installing a tank.
A five-minute check you can do today: walk to wherever your AdBlue is kept and look for three things. Is anything open? Is anything sitting in direct sun? Is any of the dispensing gear also used for other liquids? Fixing those costs almost nothing and removes the most common storage problems. While you're there, write the delivery date on any container that doesn't have one, so stock can be rotated properly.
How Liquidia can help
Liquidia supplies AdBlue in drums, IBCs and bulk, along with tanks and dispensing equipment. See the online store for packs and equipment, or ask about bulk delivery and on-site tanks for larger sites.