Complete Story
11/30/2009
Ohio Soybean Council Receives Fifth R&D 100 Award for the Development of Soy-Based Polymer
Contact: Jamie Butts
Ohio Soybean Council
614.476.3100
jbutts@soyohio.org
NEWS RELEASE
November 30, 2009
Ohio Soybean Council Receives Fifth R&D 100 Award for the Development of Soy-Based Polymer
WORTHINGTON, Ohio - The Ohio Soybean Council (OSC), in collaboration with Battelle and Univenture, was recently awarded its fifth R&D 100 award for the development of a soy meal-based polymer during the 47th Annual R&D 100 Awards ceremony in Orlando, Florida. Only the top 100 innovations of the year receive this honor. Award recipients were determined by an independent judging panel and editors of R&D Magazine.
Accepting the award on behalf of OSC was Keith Kemp, OSC chairman, John Lumpe, OSC executive director, and Tom Fontana, OSC director of new use development.
"R&D 100 awards are a very prestigious honor," said Kemp, a Preble County soybean farmer. "To have received five of these awards is outstanding. I can't say enough about all of the great work that the researchers at Battelle are doing to create these new markets for Ohio's soybean farmers."
The soy meal-based polymer technology has the potential to be used in nearly any type of molded-plastic application and could be utilized in various industries such as packaging, construction, electrical, furniture and machinery. Because of its wide-reaching applications, this technology could create millions of bushels per year in soybean demand, bringing an additional $4 million to $6 million per year in revenue to Ohio soybean farmers.
For more than a decade, OSC has invested soybean checkoff dollars to research and develop new industrial uses for soybeans, and the latest R&D 100 award for the soy meal-based polymer reflects another milestone in the success that OSC has experienced in developing new products in partnership with Battelle. OSC and Battelle have previously received R&D 100 awards for soy-based plasticizer in 2002, soy-based toner in 2003, soy-based polyol in 2007 and soy-based powder coating in 2008.
"These awards are a great affirmation of the power of our partnership. Battelle and the Ohio Soybean Council are accelerating technological innovations that will have tremendous and far-reaching industrial and agricultural impact," said Rick Heggs, Battelle's senior market manager for bio-based products.
In the United States, the overall plastics market demand was 115 billion pounds in 2007 and the demand for biodegradable plastic is increasing by 13.7 percent annually. The soy meal-based polymer technology has comparable performance and is at a lower cost compared to the fully petroleum-derived equivalent, so it could be a leading alternative in filling this demand for biodegradable plastic.
Univenture has already put this new technology to the manufacturing test. Headquartered in Marysville, Ohio, Univenture specializes in a wide variety of customizable, cost-effective packaging and storage options, binders and automated packaging machinery. Using samples of the soy meal-based polymer in its standard molding process for plastic, the company created a three-ring plastic binder, which was showcased at the 2009 Farm Science Review.
"Collaborating with Battelle and the Ohio Soybean Council to advance bio-based research and products will assist Ohio and its soybean farmers, bringing in new green businesses and providing employment," said Ross Youngs, Univenture CEO and founder.
Besides the reduction in petroleum used in the products, this innovative technology has the potential to be molded at lower temperatures, further reducing energy costs associated with the manufacturing process. Additionally, the soy meal-based polymer does not absorb water in high humidity and has similar impact strength and mechanical properties compared with a fully petroleum-derived polymer.
"There are so many different applications that this technology could be used for, and the fact that Univenture was able to manufacture the soy meal binder using its existing process is a testament to the viability of this innovative technology in the marketplace," said Lumpe.
Click here to watch a video and to learn more about the soy-based polymer developed by OSC and Battelle, and the soy meal binder manufactured by Univenture. Or visit www.soyohio.tv to see all of the informational videos available.
About OSC
Headquartered in Worthington, the Ohio Soybean Council is governed by a 17-member volunteer farmer board, which directs the Soybean Promotion and Research Program. The program's primary goal is to improve soybean profitability by targeting research and development projects through the investment of farmer-contributed funds. For more information, please visit www.soyohio.org.
About Battelle
Battelle is the world's largest non-profit independent research and development organization, providing innovative solutions to the world's most pressing needs through its four global businesses: Laboratory Management, National Security, Energy Technology, and Health and Life Sciences. It advances scientific discovery and application by conducting $5.2 billion in global R&D annually through contract research, laboratory management and technology commercialization. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Battelle oversees 20,400 employees in more than 130 cities worldwide, including seven national laboratories that Battelle manages or co-manages for the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and two international laboratories-a nuclear energy lab in the United Kingdom and a renewable energy lab in Malaysia.
Battelle also is one of the nation's leading charitable trusts focusing on societal and economic impact and actively supporting and promoting science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. For more information, please visit www.battelle.org.
About Univenture
Univenture has been designing and manufacturing converted and molded plastic products, including bio-based plastics, since its founding in 1988. The company was listed on the Inc. 500 fastest growing privately held companies five times in the 1990s, and the Small Business Administration named founder, Ross O. Youngs, National Business Person of the Year in 1997. The dedicated focus of the Univenture team has resulted in numerous industry awards and accolades for its innovation, commitment to customers, and sales growth. For more information please visit, www.univenture.com.
-30-
