After 20 Years, Soy Ink Continues to Make an Impression on Users

Celebrating its 20th anniversary, soy ink has endured long-term success due to ongoing enhanced performance and environmental factors. Since 1987, the soybean checkoff has funded the development and promotion of soy in ink in multiple applications. As petroleum prices continued to skyrocket in the 1970s, a few companies looked into using soy in ink applications. As soon as an effective formulation was discovered, many ink manufacturers followed suit as soybean oil presented an attractive alternative to petroleum in the printing industry. To this day, the United Soybean Board (USB) continues to support the progress of soy ink through soybean checkoff investments.

"From the development of the first soy-based product 20 years ago, U.S. soybean farmers continue to be dedicated to funding research involved in the creation of countless products made from soy," says Todd Allen, USB New Uses chair and a soybean farmer from West Memphis, Ark. "Soy ink is a great example of many benefits that soy provides over petroleum products."

Benefits of Soy Ink

The use of soy ink continued to increase throughout the 1990s, primarily because it had a low negative impact on the environment as it contained low volatile organic compounds and minimal toxic waste. In the late 1990s, the biodegradability of soy ink increased as the ratio of soy oil to pigment improved.

Soybean oil's clarity gives soy ink bright colors and an increasing number of newspapers today are taking advantage of using color based on this property. Soy ink has longer usage life (considerably more pages can be printed with less ink), it is renewable and recycled paper printed with soy ink produces high-quality paper. Soy ink also reduces the amount of rub-off on ink from newsprint.

The cost of soy ink has been comparable to petroleum-based inks. In some instances, soy ink has been slightly more expensive; however, soy ink users state they can print more pages with less ink. Soy ink is also becoming an increasingly popular choice for environmentally concerned publishers.

Soy Ink Applications

The most popular application of soy ink over the years has been in the printing industry. From the Los Angeles Times to USA Today, USB has found that nearly 90 percent of the nations daily newspapers use soy ink. More than one-third of all newspapers (over 8,000 newspapers) also use soy ink in their production processes. Currently, 100 percent of all ink manufacturers are producing at least one type of soy ink.

Beyond the newspaper industry, soy ink can be used in a number of other applications and most require different formulations of soy ink (different presses require different types of ink). Examples include:

Other ink developments include research on soy ink use in toner cartridges for copy and fax machines developed by the Ohio Soybean Council (OSC). OSC is looking for a partner to commercialize the product. Research on soy ink for use in ballpoint pens has also been conducted and to date has not been commercialized.

USB and the soybean checkoff continue to promote the use of soy inks in various printing applications. A SoySeal trademark has been created for the thousands of publications that use soy ink in their material. These manufacturers and printers must meet minimal requirements to be considered for logo use.

In addition to the use of soy inks in the United States, USB has worked with crushers and other companies in Japan to develop the soy ink market. Currently, more than 30 ink manufacturers in Japan are producing soy ink. There are close to 4,700 companies that use the SoySeal registration in Japan - the highest number of soy ink users in the world.

To learn more about soy inks, visit www.unitedsoybean.org/newuses.

Soy-Based Plastics: Market and Technical Overview

As prices for petroleum have gone through the roof with no price relief in sight, manufacturers continue to look for alternatives to petro-based components for plastics. The United Soybean Board (USB) and soybean checkoff have partnered with various links in the supply chain to research, test and include soy-based plastics in several products.

Soy-based plastics can be divided into two main segments: polyurethane using soy polyols and plastic composites (thermosets). Each segment has great growth potential, from the farmers who grow the soybeans to the manufacturers that utilize them to the end user that benefits from a high-quality product.

Polyurethanes

Polyurethanes using soy polyols include urethane foams, binders, coatings, adhesives and sealents. The performance of soy polyols includes products that perform exactly like petroleum counterparts, or even better when is comes to total weight, strength and durability. The versatility and costs-saving aspect of soy polyols also make it a popular alternative. Several manufacturers have created soy polyol products, and these intermediates are producing impressive applications, such as carpet-backing agents, spray foam insulations, body panels on agricultural equipment and other products.

A soy-based polyol is combined with isocyanate to create a polyurethane resin system. Urethane Soy Systems Company (USSC), in partnerships with South Dakota Soybean Processors, USB and soybean checkoff, developed the patented soy-based polyol, Soyol. Since its creation, Soyol has been used in various rigid and flexible polyurethane foam applications. A carpet-backing agent is a good example.

A fairly new product utilizing Soyol currently available from USSC is SoyTherm 50, a two-component, open-celled rigid polyurethane foam insulation. SoyTherm 50 offers the benefits of being free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde and asbestos along with requiring less energy to produce.

BioBased Systems, LLC. is also using a special soy polyol called Agrol to produce soy-based spray foam insulation. The product contains no micro fibers and has a high R-value. The insulation benefits include improved health conditions, increased comfort, better energy efficiency, improved durability, and it is environmentally responsible. Agrol contains functionalities of 1.8, 2.8, 3.0 and 4.0, which can be used in a variety of applications from flexible to case and rigid foams.

Plastic Composites

Plastic composites are another promising segment for soy. Technology in this realm includes plastic body and interior parts for automobiles, boats and even agricultural equipment used to harvest soybeans and other oilseed crops. This full-circle usage could potentially replace 300 million pounds of all thermoset resins (estimated for 2007).

Ford Motor Company has continued its research into biobased foams and plastics for use in automobile body panels and interior parts. Ford has showcased the Model U concept vehicle, which contains soy-based polyurethane seats. Since then, research has focused on flexible soy foam for interior body parts, which is one part of a three-area project that includes using natural fibers for composite body parts and biobased resins for many purposes.

In 2005, four versions of Ashland Specialty Chemical Company's ENVIREZ, a soy-based thermoset polyester resin, were made available. Major agricultural OEMs, such as John Deere and Case New Holland, adopted the technology for a low-profile thermoset sheet molding compound for tractor hoods and covers. Over 1 million pounds of soy-based thermoset resins have been used for agricultural equipment panels. Other companies using ENVIREZ include Green Products, Inc., for specialty-filament-wound tanks.

As more manufacturers look for alternatives to high petroleum prices, soy-based plastics fit the bill. The versatility and lower production costs make soy plastics an area primed for rapid growth. For more information on soy-based products, visit www.unitedsoybean.org/newuses.

Yellowstone's 10-Year Anniversary with Biodiesel

For their 10th anniversary, Yellowstone National Park and biodiesel didn't celebrate by exchanging the traditional gifts of tin, they celebrated instead with steel, fan belts, gaskets and hoses, the parts found in the more than 300 pieces of machinery running on soy biodiesel in the park.

In 1995, Yellowstone National Park served as the test model for the National Park Service (NPS) when park managers began a test project on biodiesel. That year the park began running a Dodge pickup on 100 percent biodiesel. Since then, the truck has traveled more than 181,000 miles using no petroleum based fuels.

"We did an engine tear-down and analysis on the Dodge truck when it hit 100,000 miles and it looked just fine," said Jim Evanoff, environmental manager at Yellowstone National Park. "I've used my pickup as an example in dozens of presentations on the advantages of biodiesel within the National Park System to show other parks why they should switch and how to make the change with their equipment."

Based on the success of Yellowstone's demonstration project, the NPS instigated a "Green Energy Parks" program in 1999. Starting that year, 18 National Parks implemented biodiesel blends when economically feasible. As of spring 2005, 23 National Parks are using soy biodiesel in their vehicles, as well as other diesel powered engines such as tractors, generators, forklifts, patrol boats and ambulances. Within the National Park Service, there is currently more than 700 pieces of machinery running on at least a B20 blend of soy biodiesel.

Along with biodiesel, Yellowstone has also served as an early adopter of soy-based cleaning products. Less than five years ago, Yellowstone was using more than 130 different cleaning products throughout the park, many of those containing harsh chemicals that were dangerous to workers' health and to the environment. Now NPS parks like Yellowstone use soy-based cleaners, parts-washing fluids, solvents, hydraulic fluids, bar and chain oil and more.

Checkoff investments in soy-based technologies make all of these products possible. Through funding research on biodiesel, soy-based hydraulic fluids, bar chain oil and lubricants and supporting the promotion of soy biodiesel with the National Biodiesel Board, the checkoff is ensuring new markets for soybeans continue to exist and grow.

For more information about biodiesel and other new uses for soybeans, visit the United Soybean Board Web site www.unitedsoybean.org/newuses.

Soy Lubricants Are Answering Nature's Call for Safer Products

Soy-based lubricants are holding their own when it comes to competing with traditional petroleum-based oils and greases in the marketplace. With a compelling market acceptance rate and funding support of the United Soybean Board (USB) and soybean checkoff, soy-based lubricants are gaining momentum in automotive, industrial and marine markets.

The attractiveness of soy-based lubricants is primarily driven by environmental concerns, performance and economics. With environmentally sensitive areas being regulated, growing regulatory pressure to reduce or eliminate certain emissions of petroleum lubricants and Executive Order (EO) 13101 call for the use of biodegradable, biobased products. EO 13101 instructs federal agencies to use environmentally preferable biobased products when cost and performance outweigh the use of petroleum counterparts. Changes are also being made in the private sector as diesel and lubricant users continue to look for better-performing lubricants that are still competitively priced.

Soybean oil will be a competing product for a share of the emerging environmentally sensitive and renewable lubricant markets with other vegetable oils and with synthetic lubricants. Vegetable oils, including soy, are lower cost than synthetics and will be the product of choice as manufacturers and service stations look to meet customer performance requirements. Modifying soybean oil holds the greatest opportunity for achieving significant levels of soybean oil in finished lubricant formulations. Competing products and modifying soybean oil are factors that will help keep soy lubricants successful.

There are multiple markets where soy-based lubricants have made significant impact. Below is a list of some of the most promising areas:

Multipurpose Gear Lubricants: These lubricants can be used on almost any metal. Natural seed oil in multipurpose gear lubricants has surpassed the lubricity of most conventional oils. The primary use of this product is to protect metals against friction and everyday wear. The benefits include its ability to protect ferrous metal components from rust and corrosion, it can handle both sliding and rolling loads, it reduces vibration and noise, and it meets USDA proposed biobased product definition for EO 13101.

Biofood-Grade Lubricants: Biofood-grade lubricants or greases are engineered specifically for incidental food contact in the food processing and packaging markets. Bio-food-grade lubricants include hydraulic fluids, gear oils, aluminum cutting oils, air tool oils, penetration/corrosion inhibitors and extreme pressure (E.P.) greases. These state-of-the-art lubricants provide excellent oxidation stability and demonstrate exceptional performance under extreme pressure and wear, with significant resistance to corrosion. The benefits are that they are biodegradable and renewable, with low toxicity and low volatility.

Wire-Rope Lubricants: Wire-rope lubricants are designed for automatic application to all types of wire ropes and chains in a variety of services and environments. These lubricants cover and penetrate like oil and remains in fluid form, increasing protection and wire-rope life. Some of the benefits of wire rope lubricants are that they are non-toxic, safe for workers and extend equipment life. Wire-rope lubricants can be applied as a spray or with a wipe or brush, or they can be dipped.

Biohydrostatic Fluid: This low-viscosity, universal tractor fluid can be used in agricultural, industrial and construction equipment where low-viscosity and improved cold-temperature performance is required. The formulation contains special frictional modifiers for the Wet Brake's equipment design, and is compounded with detergent, dispersant, anti-wear, anti-rust and anti-foam inhibitors.

The soybean checkoff is always working to fund research and development of soybean oil for lubricant base stocks. Each year, the soybean checkoff funds technical development that discovers additional uses for biobased lubricants. To learn about other new uses for soy-based products, visit www.unitedsoybean.org/newuses.