Ministry of Environment Confirms Refined Process Enables Immediate Use for Vehicles
The National Institute of Environmental Research is testing automotive urea made using industrial-grade urea with low aldehyde concentration by injecting it into a 3.5-ton Mighty truck.
[Asia Economy Reporter Joo Sang-don] A test applying vehicle urea solution made using industrial urea with low aldehyde concentration to large freight trucks showed that it met emission standards. It was confirmed that high-quality industrial urea imported can be used directly for vehicle urea solution after a refining process.
On the 28th, the National Institute of Environmental Research under the Ministry of Environment announced that additional tests on large freight trucks using industrial urea with low aldehyde concentration also met emission gas standards, confirming the possibility of using industrial urea for manufacturing vehicle urea solution (catalyst).
From the 16th, the National Institute of Environmental Research created two types of samples with lower aldehyde concentrations than the first test samples by mixing industrial urea and vehicle urea over nine days.
The two types of samples were injected into two types of diesel trucks, small (1t) and large (3.5t), to analyze whether they met pollutant emission standards.
As a result, all five regulated emission substances met the standards, consistent with the first test results announced on November 12. For aldehyde, which has no diesel vehicle emission standard, compliance was reviewed against the alcohol-blended gasoline vehicle standard and was found to be within the limit.
Additionally, for aldehyde, the concentration increased in the 1t truck (Bongo), but in the 3.5t truck (Mighty) equipped with an oxidation catalyst capable of reducing aldehyde, the concentration decreased with both sample injections.
The Environmental Science Institute also confirmed that if appropriate control processes are selected and used for each manufacturing standard item (a total of 18 items), industrial urea imported can be manufactured to meet vehicle urea solution quality standards.
On the 19th, the National Institute of Environmental Research analyzed the components of vehicle urea solution made from industrial urea imported from China by domestic company N on the 13th. Some items did not meet vehicle urea solution quality standards, but it was confirmed that impurities could be removed through process treatment by domestic urea solution manufacturers (such as using ion exchange resins) to manufacture products meeting vehicle standards.
Going forward, the Environmental Science Institute plans to continuously and promptly conduct quality inspections on imported industrial urea to verify its usability for vehicle urea solution.
Kim Dong-jin, head of the Environmental Science Institute, said, "Currently, in close cooperation with the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), we are operating a support system that receives samples by air before urea import contracts to evaluate quality," adding, "Through this, we will actively support the expansion of vehicle urea supply."
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