• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / Agriculture / Soy plastic shows versatility

Soy plastic shows versatility

January 18, 2002 By admin

Scientists at Iowa State University are finding new uses for soybeans. The latest research is converting soy oil into a hard plastic that might be useful in dozens of industries.Chemistry professor Richard Larock says the most promising unique properties in the soy-based plastic, which petroleum-based plastics don’t have, are the ability to dampen sound and vibrations. It could be used in products like washing machines. Larock says the soy-based plastic also has something called “shape memory,” meaning it can be made in one form, heated and shaped into something else, then re-heated — and it’ll take its original form again. He says that property also has many potential uses. He says you could put a tack through a hole in the wall, heat it, and the back end would expand and hold it in the wall.That “shape memory” could also be used in plumbing to connect pipes and in dozens of other applications. Larock says another advantage to the soy-based plastic is its cost — as it’s about half the price of the alternative. The price of soybean oil is way down to 17 cents a pound, compared to the styrene in styrofoam that’s about 40 cents a pound.Larock says the research team is in contact with several major companies about the potential uses for the plastic, including John Deere, Maytag and DuPont.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Agriculture, Technology Tagged With: Technology

Featured Stories

Iowa Supreme Court overturns ruling creating constitutional abortion right

Iowa’s governor launches $100 million school safety plan

Urbandale teacher crowned Miss Iowa

DOT taking input on proposed electric vehicle charging network

Glidden man cleared in poaching case, questions DNR tactics

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

AJ Green signs with Milwaukee

Iowa to host Georgia Tech in ACC/Big Ten Challenge

Iowa State adds a defensive back

Radio Iowa/Baseball Coaches Association High School Poll 6/20/22

Radio Iowa/Baseball Coaches Association High School Poll 6/13/22

More Sports

eNews and Updates

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Archives

Copyright © 2022 · Learfield News & Ag, LLC