People everywhere are becoming aware of a responsibility to the environment. The changes in our society emphasizing environmental responsibility is rapidly intensifying. As the demand for industrial products increase, the adaptation of environmentally-friendly technology will be critical to the joint survival of industries and our environment.

Manufacturers of all types are beginning to consider the eventual fate of their products at the design stage. The engineering of a product involves the selection of raw materials that will provide superior product performance and environmental responsibility, both from the standpoint of natural resources utilization and recycling or disposal of waste. Products from DuPot Soy Polymers can help companies become more responsive in the intelligent selection of ingredients for their markets.

The productivity and performance of formulations modified with Pro-Cote products are well known. Less well known, perhaps, are some of the environmental positives of these materials.

Renewable Resource. Pro-Cote Soy Polymers are designed and engineered around the protein component of soybeans, a renewable resource that is produced worldwide. Soybeans have been cultivated for over 3000 years, and are an extremely valuable international commodity. Over 100 million metric tons of soybeans are produced annually, with the USA, Brazil, Argentina and China the major producers. More than half the world’s supply comes from the USA. Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio and Missouri are the largest-producing states.

Pro-Cote products are not petroleum-based, unlike many of the synthetic polymers used in paper coatings. The backbone of these soy polymers is a naturally-produced polymer of amino acids. No monomers are used in the operation - nature takes care of this polymerization.

Recyclable. Pro-Cote products are water-soluble polymers. They can, and are, easily recycled by such systems as broke and wastepaper repulping.

Degradable. Soy polymers are highly degradable, unlike synthetic polymers. Degradabilty can be measured in many ways. One measure that has been used by a number of researchers is the ratio of 5-day Biological Oxygen Demand to Chemical Oxygen Demand (BOD/COD). The BOD/COD ratio of Pro-Cote® soy polymers is typically over 50%, compared to levels less than 2% for synthetic binders and thickeners.

Biodegradability of Pro-Cote soy polymers has also been measured using the Modified Sturm Test, (OECD 301B - CO2 Evolution Test), another measure of degradability. The biodegradation of the product is expressed as percentage of theoretical carbon dioxide 28 days after acidification and incubation at 22 ± 2C. Pro-Cote soy polymers were 88% degradable after 28 days, compared to an aniline control at 93%.