ARS | Publication request: NONFOOD USES OF SOYBEAN OIL

Submitted to: Soybean Research World Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: August 7, 1999
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: U.S. agriculture produces over 12 billion lb of soybean oil annually, and frequently carry-over exceeds 1 billion lb. Only 300 million lb of soybean oil are used in industrial applications. Non-food uses of soybean oil and other veg. oils have grown very little during the past 40 years. Although some markets have expanded or new ones added, other markets have been lost to competitive petroleum products. Development of new industrial products or commercial processes are objectives of continued research in both public and private sectors. Through these efforts veg. oils should maintain or even add to their market share as non- renewable petroleum becomes more expensive. Veg. oils are used in various industrial applications such as emulsifiers, lubricants, plasticizers, surfactants, plastics, solvents, and resins. Research and development approaches take advantage of the natural properties of these oils. Veg. oils have superb environmental credentials, such as being inherently biodegradable, having low ecotoxicity and low toxicity towards humans, being derived from renewable resources, and contributing no volatile organic chemicals.