Emissions testing under Euro 6Euro 6 legislation that came into force on 1 Sept 2014 requires all cars sold in Europe to comply with strict emissions regulations.

The new standard applies to all chemical species covered under previous legislation, i.e. carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), propane, nitrogen oxides (NOx), ethane and methane. For raw exhaust gas, the nitrogen oxide impurity level, for instance, will be set at 0.1 ppm, and at 0.02 ppm for dilute exhaust gas. Euro 6 levels are thus significantly lower than those mandated under Euro 5 – 66% and 80% lower in the case of particulate and NOx emissions, for example. 

Euro 6 also introduces ammonia as a new emissions testing chemical species. This move was prompted by rising ammonia emissions from newer cars fitted with Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology. Another impact of Euro 6 is higher levels of blend tolerance and certification accuracy for hydrogen/helium gas mixtures used for many analyses. And – last but not least – Euro 6 introduces new ultra-high-purity specifications for dilute exhaust gas measurements. These specifications apply to nitrogen, oxygen, 40% hydrogen/helium and synthetic air.

Time to act

This updated legislation means that the automotive industry must put more stringent measurement and analysis processes in place. This, in turn, raises the quality and purity bar for gases and gas mixtures used to calibrate gas analysers. It also calls for new calibration gas mixtures and possibly also new gas analysis instrumentation. In addition, all gases and mixtures must be traceable to national standards. Rigorous quality control systems must be put in place to ensure compliance.

                                 Euro 6 Regulations for Automotive Emissions Testing

Full package from Linde

Building on our expertise in automotive emissions testing, we have developed a new, dedicated range of HiQ^® Euro 6 specialty gases to meet testing and analysis needs under this new legislation. This program includes nitrogen, synthetic air and hydrogen/helium fuel. All of these gases and mixtures come withcertificates of conformity and a certificate of analysis to ensure you comply with new quality assurance and traceability requirements. In addition, we complement this program of gases with the right specialty equipment and supporting services. Our REDLINE programme of gas control equipment is ideal for automotive emissions testing, and includes stainless steel components and purge assemblies recommended for the new ammonia mixtures. Our aim – as always – is to take the hassle and complexity out of compliance while maximising the productivity and success of your testing laboratory.

Overview of HiQ Euro 6 programme:

• HiQ Nitrogen Euro 6 Raw

• HiQ Nitrogen Euro 6 Dilute

• HiQ Synthetic Air Euro 6 Raw 

• HiQ Synthetic Air Euro 6 Dilute

• HiQ Hydrogen / Helium Euro 6 Fuel Raw

• HiQ Hydrogen / Helium Euro 6 Fuel Dilute.