Soy-Based Products, Biodiesel Gaining Acceptance by Government Organizations

Approximately 10 months after the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) anno unced an amended rule to the 2002 Farm Bill supporting biobased products, government agencies and the military remain interested in adopting the use of environmentally safe products. The United Soybean Board (USB) and soybean checkoff continue to support research and development of soy technology to deliver safe alternatives to petroleum products on the market. Soy biodiesel, soy-based lubricants and solvents are some of the most frequently used products within government agencies at this time.

?We are excited to see that our government is doing more than just considering purchasing soy-based products, they are backing U.S. soybean farmers, researchers and manufacturers by using them,? said Todd Allen, chair of USB?s New Uses Committee. ?From soy biodiesel to roof coatings and floor cleaners, soy-based products contain non-toxic components that make it safe for employees to use these products in various environments.?

In March 2005, the U.S. Navy enacted a policy stating that the majority of non tactical vehicles must operate on a B20 blend of biodiesel fuel (20 percent soy biodiesel and 80 percent No. 2 diesel) whenever possible. The Navy is one of the U.S. government?s largest consumers of petroleum diesel.

In September 2005, USDA released a draft rule on the first of several designation lists that will outline which products have significant biobased materials content and are priced competitively for government agencies to consider purchasing. The following six items have been officially designated:

Item                                            Minimum Biobased Content For Use

Hydraulic Fluids (for mobile equipment)                     24%

Penetration Lubricants                                               71%

Diesel Fuel Additives                                                 93%

Urethane roof coatings                                               62%

Bedding, bed linens and towels                                  18%

Water tank coatings                                                   62%

USDA will invite manufacturers and vendors to post lists of their products that fall under these categories as soon as this rule has been officially published.

Along with the U.S. Navy, a significant number of government organizations are already using biobased products. Yellowstone National Park lead the biobased products charge by becoming the first national park to use biodiesel in its vehicles and equipment. From there other national parks began doing the same. The U.S. National Park Service is one of the government?s biobased products frontrunners as 23 national parks nationwide are using biodiesel. Thirty-one national parks are using soy-based lubricants and other products in their operations.

Dinosaur National Monument in Colorado is a great example of a government entity utilizing soy-based products. The national park contains an impressive collection of dinosaur fossils and spans over 200,000 acres. USB recently donated soy-based lubricants such as general-purpose lubricants, bar and chain oils, and hydraulic fluids to the park. The park is also running vehicles on B20 (20 percent soy biodiesel and 80 percent No. 2 diesel).

Soy biodiesel use by National Parks has increased because biodiesel has been shown to substantially reduce unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and particulate matter. Soy biodiesel has also been shown to increase cetane, have high fuel lubricity and have a high oxygen content, all of which increase the performance of diesel engines.

Soybean checkoff research has shown that when compared with petrochemical-based oil, soybean oil lubricants have higher viscosity index, lower evaporation loss and potential to enhance lubricity.

To learn more about how biodiesel is impacting government agencies, visit the National Biodiesel Board?s Web site at www.biodiesel.org. To learn more about soy-based products, visit USB?s online Soy Products Guide at www.unitedsoybean.org/newuses. To learn more about soy-based product use by various government agencies visit www.soybiobased.org.

Your Guide to Soy-Based Products

In 2000, the United Soybean Board (USB) and soybean checkoff recognized the growing soy-based products market and felt that there should a non biased one-stop shop for customers looking to buy soy-based products. As a result, the Soy Products Guide was formed.

Since it was first published in 2001 the Soy Products Guide has been listing available soy-based products, as provided by the product manufacturer, without promoting one product over another. This online and printed guide is the first comprehensive listing of soy-based products that USB is aware of.

?The soybean checkoff is dedicated to developing and promoting new soy-based products in an ongoing effort to increase the demand of this versatile agricultural commodity,? says Todd Allen, chair of USB?s New Uses Committee. ?USB recognized that consumers wanted more soy-based products and just didn?t know where to find them, so we decided to help solve that problem by developing the Soy Products Guide.?

When creating the Soy Products Guide, USB realized that the only way the catalog would be successful was if every product was described simply, but technically, with no editorializing. Products are organized by three categories: Consumer Products, Ingredients and Intermediates, and Industrial Products. Each product is placed within one of these categories with a description and manufacturer contact information for consumers to easily find the products they want and contact the manufacturer directly.

New soy-based products are introduced every year, and USB continues to update the print copy form of the Soy Products Guide annually. The online version is updated on a daily basis from product manufacturer requests. To keep up with the changing market, USB is continuously updating product and company information in the online version of the guide.

Each fall, the printed version of the Soy Products Guide is updated with all information collected throughout the year. Companies are welcome to submit products to be listed in the Soy Products Guide. This can be done by submitting product names along with a brief description of products to USB. Company contact information, such as mailing addresses, phone and fax numbers, email addresses and Web addresses should also be submitted. This information can be sent electronically to USB at the following address: newuses@unitedsoybean.org.

Since the soy-based products market has expanded exponentially within the past few years, USB recognizes that the Soy Products Guide is in no way the end-all listing of soy-based products, and USB does not endorse or guarantee any product found in the product guide.

To view the online version of the Soy Products Guide, log on to www.unitedsoybean.org/newuses and click on the products guide tab. To order a print copy of the catalog, please e-mail mheth@unitedsoybean.org.

Soy-Based Solvents Hold Their Own Against Chemical Counterparts

Many solvent manufacturers are replacing common petrochemicals in their products with biobased alternatives utilizing soy methyl esters, or methyl soyate. Methyl-soyate-based products provide manufacturers and consumers with several advantages over terpene, petrochemical based products or cleaners containing butyls in terms of VOC levels, toxicity, biodegradability, waste disposal and flammability. The United Soybean Board (USB) and soybean checkoff have played a significant role in funding research and development of methyl soyate for commercial solvents and have worked with companies such as Soy Technologies to fund soy-based solvents that provide safer alternatives to petroleum-based products.

Transesterification of soybean oil and methanol yields methyl soyate. The soy oil is heated and reacts with methanol in the presence of a catalyst. The reaction causes the separation of soy oil into methyl soyate and a co-product of glycerin. The methyl soyate goes through a water-wash process, where the water adheres to any impurities in the methyl soyate and filters them out. Next, the methyl soyate is dried and is then suitable for use in various products and applications.

Florida-based Soy Technologies is one company utilizing methyl soyate in the production of environmentally friendly cleaners and solvents, and 2005 marks the company?s second year of marketing and distributing VOC-compliant, patented technology to the industry. Three of the company?s current 2005 VOC-Compliant products include SoyFast All-Purpose Cleaner Concentrate and Manufacturer?s Base and two biosolvents, SoyGreen 5000 and SoyGreen 6000. In testing, these products have demonstrated effectiveness equal to or exceeding their petrochemical counterparts.

SoyFast All-Purpose Cleaner Concentrate is a ready-to-use cleaner/degreaser that can be diluted up to 1:30. It is also available as Manufacturer?s Base, which must be diluted to at least 1:30 and up to 1:150 depending on the level of cleaning or degreasing required. SoyFast is safe for use on aluminum, wood, painted surfaces, plastics, automotive finishes and other situations requiring cleaning and/or degreasing. SoyFast is safe to handle, store and transport as compared to many petrochemical cleaners and cleaners containing butyls. SoyFast is also water soluble, PH neutral, has a flash point of >300°F and a specific gravity of 1.0 gm/ml. VOC percentages vary; the All-Purpose Cleaner Concentrate is <0.5% and the Manufacturer?s Base has a VOC percentage of 5.87 undiluted and <.5 at minimal dilution.

SoyGreen 5000 is a biosolvent designed to be used undiluted for all stripping and removal operations, including paint stripping, adhesive removal, heavy-duty degreasing and carbon removal, printing ink removal and press cleanup. The product can be sprayed or brushed on and has dwell times ranging from 10 minutes to 24 hours if necessary. Longer dwell times are achievable due to SoyGreen 5000?s slow evaporation rate, a trait it shares with many of Soy Technologies? products. SoyGreen 5000 cannot be used for removal of polyurethane.

Technical data for SoyGreen 5000 includes a flash point of >200°F, .99 gm/ml specific gravity, PH neutrality and a VOC percentage of 4.41. Increased safety, environmental friendliness and economic parity make SoyGreen 5000 a strong alternative to petrochemical solvents.

SoyGreen 6000 shares almost all the same characteristics as SoyGreen 5000, including being cost-effective and an alternative to terpene or petrochemical-based products. The one characteristic it doesn?t share is that it?s a highly viscous liquid, which makes it ideal for use on vertical surfaces requiring the removal of paint, adhesives, coating removals and heavy-duty degreasing and carbon removal. SoyGreen 6000 is also not suitable for polyurethane removal. SoyGreen 6000 also has a flash point of >200°F, .99 gm/ml specific gravity, it is PH neutral and has a VOC percentage of 4.41.

The production and use of methyl soyate and biobased products continue to expand as increased government regulations and the market demand safer, greater performing alternatives to terpene or petrochemical based cleaners. Companies are taking a serious look at incorporating methyl soyate into their manufacturing processes. In many cases, companies are completely replacing petroleum contents in solvents with crop-based alternatives.

Learn more about new uses for soy-based products by visiting USB at www.unitedsoybean.org/newuses. For more information on Soy Technologies? products, visit www.soytek.com.

Soy-Based Lubricants Market Holds Great Potential

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

Driving Issues

The market for soybean oil in lubricants is driven by a combination of environmental concerns, economics and performance issues. Petroleum- or mineral-based oils have historically been, and will likely continue to be, the economical choice for many manufacturers to satisfy performance, logistic and cost targets in many applications. The United Soybean Board (USB) and soybean checkoff have invested in research of soy-based technology to complement petroleum products in significant segments of the lubricants market. The need for readily biodegradable and low-toxicity lubricants in environmentally sensitive areas has been recognized, and the combination of growing regulatory pressure to reduce or eliminate certain emissions of petroleum lubricants and Executive Order 13101, which instructs federal agencies to use environmentally preferable biobased products, should encourage increased use of renewable oils. Soybean-based lubricants have the potential to capture a significant share of this emerging market segment and remain a research priority of USB. Regardless, products containing biobased components must compete head-to-head with conventional products when the purchaser makes his or her decision.

Competing Products

Soybean oil will compete 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 when they meet customer performance requirements. When compared with mineral-oil-lubricant basestocks, vegetable oils have the following advantages: higher viscosity index, lower evaporation loss and a potential to enhance lubricity, which could lead to improved energy efficiency. Vegetable oils have performance limitations, particularly in thermal, oxidative and hydrolytic stability. These problems can be alleviated by modifying the oil. Developing a cost-effective commercially viable source of economical and stable basestock is the key to wider commercialization of soy-based lubricants.

Modifying Soybean Oil

Four possible avenues for an improved soybean oil basestock have been or are being investigated:

? Biotechnology to produce more stable oil from the seed.

? Non transgenic modification to produce more stable oil.

? Modification of the oil through chemical or mechanical processing to improve oxidative stability, while maintaining good oil properties.

? Chemical additives that improve stability offer the most rapid and cost-effective route to commercialization.

A combination of several of these areas offers the greatest opportunity for achieving significant levels of soybean oil in finished lubricant formulations. Coordinating the efforts of diverse groups is the challenge of commercialization.

Exploring Future Opportunities

Growing regulatory impacts on lubricants should result in more use of biobased lubricants in the United States during the next five to 10 years. The vegetable-oil industry should follow this effort, providing information on the availability and performance of renewable vegetable-based lubricants that can facilitate their use. With an annual U.S. crop approaching 3 billion bushels, the potential supply of soybean oil could surpass 31 billion pounds if the entire crop were crushed domestically. No other oilseed crop has a current availability of this magnitude. If renewable oils are desired as lubricants, the availability of enhanced soy, coupled with its price advantage over other vegetable oils and synthetics, will make it a logical substitute for mineral oils in appropriate market segments.

To learn more about soy-based lubricants and other market opportunities, visit USB on the Web at www.unitedsoybean.org/newuses.