With Biodiesel Production Growing, Maintaining Quality will be Paramount

As biodiesel production booms nationwide, the United Soybean Board (USB) and soybean checkoff continue to fund the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) in promoting this renewable fuel among farmers and ranchers, general consumers and the trucking industry. But as progress expands, keeping control over it can be a challenge. With many entrepreneurs eager to build biodiesel production plants, the importance of formulating a quality product becomes more and more critical. Because of this issue, USB and NBB have started a self-policing standard through a program called the National Biodiesel Accreditation Program.

According to NBB, the National Biodiesel Accreditation Program is a voluntary cooperative that enables the certification of manufacturers and marketers of soy biodiesel. Once qualified, those companies are known as BQ-9000 certified. The program employs ASTM standards for soy biodiesel, ASTM D 6751, and a quality systems program that includes storage, sampling, testing, blending, shipping, distribution and fuel management practices.

NBB also outlines that accreditation within the program is open to companies currently manufacturing, distributing or planning to market soy biodiesel. Certification through this quality program is retained for two years. After that period, companies need to undergo a recertification review for an additional two-year term.

Accredited manufacturers are subjected to a formal exam to ensure their blends of soy biodiesel meet the ASTM D-6751 Specification for Biodiesel Fuel (B100) Blend Stock for Distillate Fuels. BQ-9000 is available to biodiesel manufacturer's and distributors in the U.S. and Canada.

Besides consumer use, the future integrity of soy biodiesel is also critical to the success of the alternative fuel among OEM's and corporate audiences in the automotive industry. To date, automobile manufacturers like DaimlerChrysler have endorsed a B20 blend of biodiesel, or a 20 percent soy biodiesel and 80 percent number two diesel fuel, in 2007 Dodge Ram trucks for government, military and commercial use. Cummins, the manufacturer of diesel engines, has amended its warranties to include coverage of B5 use.

Major agricultural equipment giants such as John Deere and Case New Holland have also recognized the alternative fuel in a number of their tractors and combines. NBB recently reported that New Holland approved the use of a B20 blend of soy biodiesel in all of its equipment using New Holland engines. Major industry players are showing support for biodiesel because of its impeccable track record regarding both performance and price. It's imperative that quality issues are avoided through programs such as the National Biodiesel Accreditation Program.

Rapid expansion of soy biodiesel is promising to multiple industries, but ensuring that the biodiesel industry as a whole is producing a uniform, quality product continues to be a concern of many critics. Here's a quick snapshot of biodiesel growth:

Within the past year, U.S. soybean farmers have achieved impressive milestones with soy biodiesel as a number of key industry leaders and OEM's have endorsed the use of this fuel in their vehicles and equipment, says Eric Niemann, USB vice chairman and soybean farmer from Nortonville, Kan.

As this industry continues to grow, it's important that we establish a universal quality program to prevent unnecessary issues with this renewable fuel. Nearly all soy biodiesel research over the last 15 years has been funded as a result of U.S. soybean farmer investments through USB.

To learn more about National Biodiesel Accreditation Program and registration, visit NBB's Web site at www.nbb.org. Upcoming seminars to learn more about BQ-9000 will be conducted in Philadelphia on June 8, in Vancouver on July 13 and in Atlanta on August 10. See NBB's Web site for more details. For more information on soy biodiesel manufacturers, visit USB's Soy Products Guide at www.unitedsoybean.org/newuses.

Soy-Based Sealant Shows a New Side of Soy

Over the past few years, soy-based foam products have made an impact in the construction industry, and now they are changing the way soy is used in buildings on the farm. Ag-Tite, developed by EDGE Inc., in conjunction with Biobased Systems, is a soy-based sealant first intended for use in agricultural facilities. Black sealants produced by Ag-Tite are designed to fill cracks and openings in agricultural structures, such as barns, poultry houses or hog pens. The United Soybean Board and soybean checkoff continue to support innovative soy-based technology.

"We created the products in the Ag-Tite line to meet specific industry needs," says Bill Collins, general manager of EDGE Inc. "Before Ag-Tite was developed we noticed that clientele in the poultry industry needed a solution to repairing their facilities. Many of the buildings were more than a decade old and had experienced wear and tear from daily operations' and we were able to solve that problem with the creation of our soy-based sealants."

Ag-Tite is a black, nominal 3 lb. /cubic foot density spray applied polyurethane sealant. Certified technicians install this two-part, soy-based product using custom designed application equipment developed by EDGE Inc. The two components (component A and component B) are stored in 55 gallon drums and loaded into specialized trailers. The drums are then heated to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, put under pressure and applied using a hose heated to 135 degrees.

"Ag-Tite is not only good for farmers since it's made with soy, but it also helps to reduce on-farm costs from heating buildings and animal livestock facilities," said Collins. "Our product is cost-effective, has twice the density of any other polyurethane product in the market and is the only product that has been E-84 tested as an agricultural sealant."

The sealant is mixed at a 1:1 ration between component A - Polymeric Diphenylmethane Diisocyanate and component B - XBBS 020-12, a polyol blend with amine catalysts. Ag-Tite should be sprayed in single passes that will give rise to 1-2 inches of quick curing foam. Successive passes can be made after the application has cooled.

Ag-Tite has undergone several product tests and has a National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) rating of 704M. Under NFPA standards (0 being low and 4 being high) Ag-Tite has a health rating of two, flammability rating of one, reactivity level of one and no special rating. Hazardous Materials Information System (HMIS) rated Ag-Tite with a two in health, a one in flammability and a one in physical hazard.

The product should be stored in a dry place within the temperature range of 64 degrees Fahrenheit and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Ag-Tite has a flashpoint of 390 degrees Fahrenheit; is non-soluble in water; reacts to water, alcohol, bases and acid; and has a shelf life of six months.

For more information on how to obtain Ag-Tite, or to become involved with Ag-Tite please contact Bill Collins at bill@ag-tite.com. For more information on soy-based technology, visit USB at www.unitedsoybean.org/newuses.

Enjoy Dust Free Roads and Arenas, Thanks To Soybeans

With the help of the United Soybean Board (USB) and the soybean checkoff, novel soy-based products like dust suppressants are offering price-competitive, safe and enhanced-performance solutions to dust clouded landfills, quarries and construction sites. Having created a unique soy-based dust-suppressant formula, a company called Dustkill, Inc. has had great success also in river ports, rail yards, golf courses and park roads. The company has developed three formulas for three different types of terrain.

Paving the Way Around Town

Roadkill is one of a few successful soy-based dust suppressants on the market primarily used on all stone drives, lots, public roadways and golf cart paths. The U.S. Department of Agriculture-recommended biobased suppressant is made from 100 percent soy oil. There is no need to mix straight oil with water at the time of application. A single application with a truck, electric pump or garden hose will do the job. Once soy-based dust suppressants are sprayed they will bond to the dust so vehicles can drive on it immediately. These products only remain wet during application and will not run off due to rain. Applications last for an entire season and cover 36 square feet with one gallon.

Covering Things in the County

Dustkill's Dustknocker formulation is primarily used on industrial haul roads and long stretches of country roadways. This soy-based oil is designed to be an additive for industry water trucks. The most popular benefits of soy-based dust suppressants include:

Ready to Get the Job Done Indoors

Arenapro is another novel formulation by Dustkill used primarily in indoor arenas. This organic dust suppressant is completely biodegradable, environmentally safe and created from soybean oil. Soy-based dust suppressants can be a permanent treatment for ground as there is no need to ever water again. There's also no need to mix the formula with water. With the proper mixture of surfactant coat and condition, arena dust particles become too heavy to go airborne. Benefits include:

The standard coverage rate is based on two specific footing materials; coarse fill sand and shredded wood products mixed with a coarse sand. The finer and deeper the sand, the more product will be needed to cover the ground. USB continues to partner with companies to ensure success stories like Dustkill continue for biobased products. For more information on soy-based solvents, visit USB's Soy Products Guide online at www.unitedsoybean.org/newuses.

Biosolvents: Methyl Soyate is the Key Ingredient

This is the fourth in a series of five soy-based market overviews that will be featured in Biobased Solutions.

The rising price of petroleum and increasing concerns about the environmental impact of chemical cleaners and strippers has sparked an interest in biobased solvents. Methyl soyate, a methyl ester derived from soybean oil, is the key ingredient in an eco-friendly mix. This low-cost, readily biodegradable alternative could replace some of the 460 million pounds of traditional chlorinated and petroleum solvents (2004). Ongoing efforts by the United Soybean Board and the soybean checkoff seek to increase the methyl soyate utilization as an ingredient or carrier solvent.

Methyl soyate has a high solvency with a Kauri-butanol (KB) value of 58 and has low toxicity when compared to other common substances. In comparison to most commercial solvents, methyl soyate is safer to handle and store due to its high flashpoint of approximately 360 degrees Fahrenheit and high boiling point of well over 400 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not list methyl soyate as an ozone-depleting chemical (ODC), hazardous air pollutant or volatile organic compound. Methyl soyates slow evaporation time can be seen as a disadvantage, but in certain applications methyl soyate outperforms other traditional solvents when longer settle times are needed.

An increasing number of companies are beginning to offer multiple formulations of methyl soyate. For example, Soy Technologies offers SoyFast, SoyGreen 5000 and SoyGreen 6000, which utilize methyl soyate in the production of industrial cleaners and strippers. In testing, these products have demonstrated effectiveness equal to or exceeding their petro-chemical counterparts.

Beyond being an ingredient in cleaners and strippers to replace chlorinated or petroleum products, methyl soyate could find increased use as a carrier solvent. Solvents used as carriers and diluents in a number of alkyd coatings and adhesives include methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEK), toluene and xylene for coatings and methylene chloride (MeCL) and MEK for adhesives.

Methyl soyate is not limited to replacement of regulated industrial cleaning solvents. Due to its eco-friendly nature, methyl soyate can be used to clean up and recover spilled petroleum products from shorelines and streams. In fact, the EPA has listed a methyl soyate biosolvent on the National Contingency Plan product schedule for oil spills. It is also licensed by the state of California as a shoreline cleaner.

Formulated consumer products ranging from hand cleaners to auto-care to personal care products that utilize methyl soyate are already being produced and marketed. Additionally, expanding utilization of methyl-soyate-based co-solvents with ethyl lactate in products such as Vertec Biosolvents Vertec Gold solvent, and methyl-soyate-based co-solvents with d-limonene (citrus extract) in products such as CITRUSoy by Florida Chemical, Inc. also show promise. Vertec Gold is used in specialty coatings, inks and cleaners and offers increased versatility and high performance. CITRUSoy solvent, cleaner and degreaser are suitable for removing gum, wax, tar, asphalt, graffiti and more. Other new emerging applications for soy-based-solvent products and processes include bioremediation, paper pulp cleaning and highway paving materials that replace asphalt.

Methyl soyate is proving to be a great alternative to chemical-laden cleaners and solvents. Development and commercialization of biobased products are rapidly expanding because of increased government regulations and market demands for safe, healthy and environmentally-friendly alternatives to terpene or petrochemical based solvents and cleaner/degreasers containing butyls. Opportunities to increase the usage of methyl soyate continue to grow as companies like Soy Technologies, Vertec Biosolvents and Bi-O-Kleen, Inc. seek out more and varied uses for methyl soyate-based-solvents and co-solvents.

Learn more about new uses for soy-based products by visiting the United Soybean Board at www.unitedsoybean.org/newuses.

For more information on specific methyl-soyate-based products, visit www.soytek.com, www.vertecbiosolvents.com and www.bi-o-kleen.com.