Environmental Update<br>Soybean Oil a Viable Alternative in Manufacturing Polyurethanes
A new material manufactured by Urethane Soy Systems Co., Princeton, IL, uses soybean oil in place of petrochemicals to create a polyol used in manufacturing polyurethanes. SoyOyl was developed in part with funding from the United Soybean Board and the soybean checkoff.
The material is less expensive than petrochemical resources and uses a readily available renewable source of chemical building blocks for polyurethanes. Polyols made from SoyOyl react similarly to petroleum-based polyols in polyurethane formulations, producing rigid and flexible foam urethane composites with equivalent or better physical properties. Using soybean oil in an end market such as plastics also adds value to our nation’s agricultural resources.