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New soy-based products pulled into the marketBy Doug Rich "Biodiesel gets most of the publicity, but the hottest thing going right now is polyol," Todd Allen said. Allen is a soybean farmer from West Memphis, Ark., and New Uses chairman of the United Soybean Board (USB). Polyol is chemically modified soybean oil that competes with petroleum based polyol in a variety of products. "We are able to substitute soy polyol for a petroleum polyol and still maintain all of the characteristics for whatever product you are making," Allen said. "This year polyol will be the biggest user of soybeans behind biodiesel." There is a 9 billion pound worldwide market for polyol, according to Allen. He said if soybean could get only 10 percent of that market is would use 90 million bushels of soybeans. Worldwide Market "You can have the best product in the world but if you can't get into the marketplace, what have you accomplished?" Allen said. "That is why we try to work with a manufacturer that can pull it into their system. They already have an established base for selling their products." This is the approach that the United Soybean Board has taken with polyol. They are working with the Ford Motor Company to make foam seating out of soy-based polyol. This year soy foam will be in the seats for new Mustangs. Production actually started in 2007. Ford has decided to use soy-foam in their 2008 Ford F-150, Expedition, and Lincoln Navigator. Next year the 2009 Ford Escape will have soy foam seating, as well. In January Ford licensed Deere & Company and Sears Manufacturing Company to further develop Ford's soy-based flexible seat foam for John Deere farm equipment and other applications. Deere will use the foam seating materials in tractors, riding mowers, and other equipment. Sears Manufacturing will use the soy-based foam seating in Class V-VII medium and heavy trucks. Deere has been using soy-based products for body panels and some farm equipment. According to USB at a 20 percent soy foam inclusion rate, Ford could potentially use up to 844,000 bushels of soy throughout its product lineup annually. "To break into an automotive application is pretty tremendous," Allen said. "Ford wanted more sustainable, cleaner products and less dependence on foreign oil. All of the intermediate manufacturers in the middle were not really concerned until Ford said they wanted this in their vehicles. Then all of the seating manufacturers jumped on board." "Sustainable materials research is more than a promise at Ford Motor Company, it is a commitment to our customers to do the right thing for the environment, " Matthew Zaluzec, Manager of the Materials and Nanotechnology Department at Ford Motor Company's Research and Innovation Center. Zaluzec spoke during a joint news conference with Ford, John Deere, and USB at the Commodity Classic. "This is a commodity that we have brought back to the heart of America," Zaluzec said. New Uses Another example of this push-pull technique is a project with Sherwin-Williams. USB is working with the well-known paint manufacturer to use soybean oil as a component of latex paint. "When they get all of the formulations done they can put it into every paint store they have," Allen said. "It will be all over America almost overnight." In addition to automotive applications USB is working with a company to introduce sulphur into a polyol to make a poly thyol. Another company is working to develop a slow release fertilizer that uses polyol from soybeans. "This could be applied at a rate that is consistent with what the plants needs and make the urea available when it is needed over a longer period time," Allen said. "Basically, we have grown soybeans over the years to crush to get the soybean meal then we had all this oil left over," Allen said. "That is why most of our projects over the years have been devoted to soybean oil. We had an abundance and we were trying to use it up." The soybean meal market is still very important to the industry and the News Uses Committee is working on two projects that involve soybean meal. The first is aquaculture. The second largest imported product to the U.S. behind oil is fish. We can grow fish here in the U.S., but have just not developed that market yet. "If we can ever get legislation to grow fish off-shore in cages that will be very beneficial to the soybean industry," Allen said. "Right now we do not have legislation to allow off-shore production in federal waters." USB also has a project to make ethanol from soybean meal. Allen said soybean meal has indigestible sugars in it so they are trying to use enzymes to take those sugars out and make ethanol. "Soybean meal will still be left over that can be fed to livestock," Allen said. "We have found that after we run meal through this process we are getting about 70 percent protein left over." Allen said. "So what are the applications for 70 percent protein meal? If we were shipping that overseas we should not have to ship as much and that is a big savings. Take the sugars out of the meal and it is very well adapted for fish feed." Making ethanol from soybeans does not require special facilities. The process involves heat, enzymes, and time to work. At the present time it is only being done on a trial basis. USB and the soybean check off funded 26 new products in 2007. These new products included plastics, lubricants, coatings, printing inks, adhesives, and emerging industrial opportunities. "U.S. soybean farmers partner with industry to carry out research into new soy products as a means to increase the use of soy in everyday products," Allen said. "USB and the check off become the catalyst by providing the initial funding, which allows corporate partners to invest in projects they otherwise might not have been able to develop." "This is an exciting time for soy, as more and more new products are being introduced that are using soy," Allen said. Doug Rich can be reached by phone at 785-749-5304 or by e-mail at richhpj@aol.com. 3/24/08 Date: 3/20/08
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