Soybeans may be Minnesota farmers’ wonder crop. This round dynamo is packed with uses — livestock feed, baby food, make-up, printing ink, crayons, candles, fertilizer. Even the fuels and lubricants to power farm machinery can be derived from soybeans.

Minnesota ranks third nationally in soybean production. The state’s producers set a record in 1997 by harvesting 6.8 million acres, averaging 39 bushels per acre. Only Iowa and Illinois farmers harvested more soybeans.

Farmers in 29 states grow soybeans, making it the second largest cash crop and the number one export crop in the United States. Even as soybeans remain one of the most widely used commodities, however, research is underway to develop further uses.

The United Soybean Board directs the use of half of all soybean check-off dollars (one-half of one percent of sales). Beside promoting domestic and export sales and conducting production research, USB funds new use research and commercialization, focusing on five main areas, including wood adhesives/composites, soy-based plastics, solvents, paints and coatings, lubricants and printing inks.

Tie it together
WOOD ADHENSIVES AND COMPOSITES

Soy adhesives may offer improved performance and economic savings to both the wood products and ag composites industries. Research is underway at several institutions, including Iowa State and Mississippi State universities, on soy-based wood adhesives. End markets include plywood, particleboard, dimensional lumber and fiberboard used in furniture.

Wood products such as glue-laminated lumber and I-joists also present market potential. Though current adhesive use is small, less than a million bushels, USB estimates that up to 180 million bushels of soybeans could be used for adhesives in the future if current research overcomes technical obstacles.

Particleboard, oriented strandboard and medium-density fiberboard are manufactured from wood products such as sawdust or strands of wood bound by adhesive resins. Soy products added to traditional resins can reduce cure time, lower costs and reduce formaldehyde emissions.

In addition, new composites, formed by combining two or more raw materials, are being developed using soy-based binders. Some of these composites contain agricultural products such as straw. Others contain recycled particles such as plastic or newspapers.

Phenix BioComposites of St. Peter, Minn., is manufacturing Environ, a soybean and newspaper composite. Environ looks like granite but works like wood and is used for furniture, wall panels and decorative products. Phenix will be expanding significantly into soy and wheat strawboard production when the company’s new 148,000 square foot plant is up and running in Mankato. (See fiber section, page 14).

Foams and films
SOY PLASTICS

Building materials, vehicle parts, furniture, insulation, sealers and shoes all utilize plastics, and plastics can be derived from soybeans. USB has identified urethane foams, urethane binders and agricultural film as three market segments offering the best opportunity for soy plastics. Research into these plastics is underway at universities in Iowa, Missouri, Indiana, Kansas and Michigan.

Rigid and flexible foams used in insulation and packaging is one area of research. A USB marketing study conservatively estimates that soybean demand for these products could exceed seven million bushels annually. Markets include insulation for buildings, appliances, industrial tanks and pipes. Flexible foams are finding their way into a variety of products, from tennis shoes to automobiles.

Agricultural film, used for growing row-crop vegetables and fruits, is another potential soy market. Agricultural mulch film is used worldwide to raise soil temperatures, conserve moisture and inhibit weed growth. Potential soy plastic products would be compostable, saving labor and disposal costs, a major advantage over petroleum-based plastics.

Slicker with soy
LUBRICANTS

Environmental concerns are a driving force behind development of soy-based lubricants. While petroleum and mineral oils are largely more economical and perform better in many uses, there are significant market niches for soy products. Hydraulic fluids, crankcase oil and total-loss oils such as cable grease, rail flange, wire rope, metal cutting and dedusting oils are all potential uses.

Oils such as cable grease are called total loss oils since they are lost directly into the environment. Several companies have started testing soy-based lubricants on equipment used in environmentally-sensitive areas such as waterways. Lubricants are applied to heavy metal cables and rails to protect them from rust and reduce friction and heat.

In Des Moines, Iowa, a division of AGRI Industries is marketing the first soybean-based hydraulic oil, BioSoy. Although it costs about double what petroleum-based hydraulic fluids cost, it offers the advantages of a higher flash point and less environmental toxicity in the event of a spill.

AURI has been instrumental in helping to bring performance improvements and visibility to soy-based biodiesel. The AURI oils lab conducted research last winter as part of a biodiesel blend test in Minneapolis snowplows, and has also supported the U.S. Bureau of Mines in testing biodiesel in underground mining engines.

Dissolving in industry
SOLVENTS

Many chlorinated, hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon solvents are being regulated out of the market for environmental reasons, paving the way for soy-based solvents. Methyl soyate — a biodegradable, low-cost, low-toxicity alternative to traditional solvents — shows promise as an industrial solvent for parts cleaning, carrier solvents, and resin removal and cleanup.

Market segments for soy-based solvents include metal cleaning, precision cleaning, electronics and resin, elastomer, coating and ink removal. Just two years ago, the combined market value of these four segments was $328 million.

Consumer products utilizing methyl soyate are already in retail markets. These products range from car care products to hand cleaners and paint strippers.

Fit to print all the news
SOY INKS

Ag Innovation News, like many other printed items, utilizes soy-based inks. Printing inks consist of pigments, solvents, resinous binders and performance additives. Soy’s growth potential is mainly in resinous binders, which affix the ink to the printed surface, and performance additives.

Lithography, used to print books, magazines, envelopes, stationery and phone books, is the soybean industry’s highest priority. Soy inks are continuously being improved for these markets. Studies are also underway to incorporate more soy products in water-based inks.

Great cover-ups
PAINTS AND COATINGS

Soybean’s greatest industrial use has been oil-based or solvent-borne paints, consuming over 16 million bushels per year. But oil-based paint use is declining in the United States, threatening soy’s share of this important market.

So current use is focusing on water-based paints for architectural uses and specialized coatings, such as metal coatings for industrial uses. A water-based soy primer paint, the first in a new line of interior paints, is expected to be launched this year.

USB says results so far have been promising. The paint industry’s major concern is reducing volatile organic compounds, and soy oil meets that challenge. However, cost competitive, top-performing products must be developed to increase soy products’ market share.

Full circle to the farm
PESTICIDE CARRIERS AND FERTILIZER

On the farm, methylated soy oil is being used as an adjuvant for pesticide sprays. Dormant oil sprays, used on fruit trees to control insects, are also being studied.

Preference® and Destiny® are two successful adjuvants resulting from a relationship between Cenex/Land O’ Lakes Agronomy Company and AURI. In 1992, AURI funding helped develop and introduce Preference, which has utilized 30 million bushels of soybeans to date. Preference has been applied to approximately 60 million crop acres, and has become the standard for non-ionic surfactant adjuvants in its market segment.

AURI has also assisted Renaissance Fertilizers, Inc., which manufactures a soy-based fertilizer at a Steuart, Minn. facility. The organic nitrogen fertilizer is primarily used in environmentally sensitive areas such as waterways and home gardens.

New markets opening...

Mike Youngerberg of the Minnesota Soybean Growers points to biodiesel and spin-off products such as solvents and cleaners as significant developments. Environmental pressure and new regulations may fuel new vegetable oil markets. Even recent product developments such as candles, crayons and ski wax have created greater visibility for new soybean uses.

Another new product with potential is SoySoft™ moisturizing lotion. AURI is helping with marketing of the soy-oil based lotion.

Already one of the most utilized crops in the state, the future appears bright for one of Minnesota’s most valuable crops. “Opportunities will continue to grow as biotechnology brings on new products,” Youngerberg says. “The world is wide open.”