Article tools sponsored by

Plastic from soy

By Bruce Wiebusch, Regional Editor -- Design News, September 17, 2001

Richard P. Wool, a professor of chemical engineering at the University of Delaware, thinks that turning soy into industrial grade plastic is food for thought. As the director of Affordable Composites from Renewable Sources program at the University's Center for Composite Materials, he uses soy for manufacturing the doors for a John Deere tractor. He thinks that most of the tractor, including the tires, could be made from soy. Wool points out that the advantages of plastics made from soy include biodegradability, abundance, and the fact that soy is renewable. "Soy-based composites have better physical properties," says Wool. For more information, go to www.udel.edu.

related stories
resource center
by this author

View more articles by Bruce Wiebusch

Technology Marketplace

Article tools sponsored by

Talkback

We would love your feedback!

» View All Talkback Threads

» Submit talk back

DN's Resource Center Get Free Information, Made Easy

Making a Better Fueling Fan … for Less with Dupont Delrin
DuPont Automotive Products | White Paper
Request Item
Present State and Futuristic of Motor Drive Technology
Yaskawa Electric America | White Paper
Request Item

View all DN resources >>

Design News Partner Zones

CAD/CAE Model Clean-Up: Reduce Iterative Cycles
This webinar featured research and survey results related to problems associated with preparing CAD geometry for CAE applications. We discussed how Recipe-Based Automation can help create "just-in-time" CAE-ready geometry each time a cad model is updated. Watch the Presentation

Light Matters: Systems Level Approach to HBLED illumination applications
Its good practice to apply a systems-level approach to high-brightness LED (HBLED) illumination applications. Minimally, the system includes the optical, thermal and electrical characteristics of the of the HBLED, the lens (if any) which is built-in to its package, secondary optics such as external plastic lenses/reflectors to direct the light as your application requires and power driver electronics. Read More

Design Engineers' Portal for Sensing and Machine Safety
Whatever industry you're in, or whatever product you manufacture, the right sensors to automate your plant, and to improve your overall efficiency, quality and safety are a must. You'll find Banner Engineering to be an amazing resource of products, training and people with expertise.