Judging by these spy photos, it appears that Ram Heavy Duty pickup trucks could soon reduce nitrogen-oxide emissions using the same urea-based NOx scrubbing technology that's found in Ford, General Motors and Ram 4500/5500 commercial chassis cab trucks.
NOx is a major air pollutant that contributes to smog, asthma and respiratory and heart diseases. It's a byproduct of diesel's high combustion temperatures, which results from the high frictional heat levels created by compressing air in the cylinders to the point where it can ignite diesel fuel without using a spark. This is unlike a gasoline engine, which uses spark ignition to burn petrol.
Since 2010 when emissions standards became much tougher, Ford and GM have used selective catalytic reduction with so-called Diesel Exhaust Fluid in their heavy-duty pickups. The urea-based solution (32.5 percent industrial urea and 67.5 percent deionized water) is held in a separate storage tank and injected as a fine mist into the hot exhaust gases. The heat turns the urea into ammonia that -- when combined with a special catalytic converter -- breaks down NOx into harmless nitrogen gas and water vapor.
In 2007, Dodge introduced a different approach to NOx reduction that's still in use today. It combines exhaust gas recirculation (used to cool combustion temperatures and reduce NOx) plus a special "adsorber" catalyst material to soak up and break down remaining NOx molecules before they leave the tailpipe.
Read more at http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2011/07/spied-diesel-exhaust-fluid-coming-soon-to-ram-heavy-duty-pickups.html