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DEF-201 refractometer tests DEF concentration

A Misco Refractometer product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Jun 5, 2009

The Misco Palm Abbe DEF-201 is a handheld digital refractometer designed for testing the concentration of urea-based diesel exhaust fluid (DEF).

DEF, which is required for diesel-powered vehicles employing selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology, must be maintained within a very narrow concentration range of less than 1.5 per cent in order to receive API certification and to meet international standards.

This refractometer test requires a few drops of urea-based DEF and a couple of seconds to obtain a digital reading of urea concentration with a precision of +/-0.1 per cent.

Proper urea concentration is critical for sustaining reduced diesel emissions, which, besides being good for the environment, can save the DEF consumer money, prevent damage to expensive SCR components and help identify tampering.

A few drops of DEF are placed in the refractometer's stainless-steel well, the evaporation cover is then closed and a single button is pressed to obtain a near-instantaneous reading on the 24-character backlit display.

The refractometer can be calibrated to water with the touch of a button.

Key to the refractometer's precision is Misco's proprietary 'Optical Engine', which combines high-index sapphire optics (the next-hardest substance to diamond) with a detector array containing more than a 1,000 detector elements.

The instrument also features an optimised combination of hardware and software, which automatically temperature compensates the reading specifically for aqueous urea solutions.

In addition to reading DEF, the refractometer can be programmed to read up to four more critical automotive parameters: engine-coolant freezing point, engine-coolant concentration, brake-fluid water content and windshield washer fluid.

Each refractometer bears a laser-etched serial number for traceability.

Options for the instrument include a rubber-armour jacket (in one of three colours), a virtually indestructible storage case and NIST-traceable certified calibrations, according to the company.

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