International industrial filtra- tion system manufacturer Cummins Filtration and inter- national speciality chemicals company Ashland reports that it has formed an alliance to package, market and distribute diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) in North America.

The DEF is required for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems, which are used to meet US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) diesel engine emissions regulations introduced this year.

With the alliance, the Fleet-guard Valvoline Air Shield DEF product will be offered through Cummins and Valvo-line, [the registered trademark of Ashland], distribution channels in the US and Canada, starting in April 2010.

The product is packaged in 1-gal and 2,5-gal bottles, drums and totes. The 2,5-gal packaging features a vented bottle that can be entirely dispensed in less than 30 seconds, making it fast and easy to use. Exclusive and dedicated Valvoline packaging lines ensure that the quality and consistency meet ISO 22241 specifications.

The Valvoline Air Shield DEF is compatible with all SCR systems, which work by injecting DEF into the engine exhaust, creating ammonia, which then flows through a SCR catalyst and reacts to form harmless nitrogen and water vapour.

Further, the DEF is American Petroleum Institute and AdBlue certified, and enables diesel engines to meet the EPA’s near-zero oxides of nitrogen emission levels required for diesel engines.

The new alliance is an exten- sion of the Valvoline and Cum-mins relationship, initiated in 1995 to deliver products and services that increase the efficiency of the total cost of ownership.

“The expansion of this partnership combines our opera-tional strengths to enhance accessibility of genuine DEF technology to meet the growing needs of 2010 engine customers,” says Cummins Filtration director of business development KC Hall.

“The quality packaging expertise of Valvoline, along with their delivery and distribution capabilities, is an excellent complement and enabler to our mission of providing consistent and high-quality DEF to our customers at the best possible convenience and cost,” he adds.

Valvoline international and commercial vice presi- dent John Noal says that the company is pleased to partner with Cummins Filtration on DEF. “Cummins has been supplying DEF products to the market for several years and, as an engine producer, they are also in a position to understand the best outcome for the engine and our mutual customers. “Together, we form a supply chain to provide customers with easy and convenient order fulfilment,” he concludes.

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