My last few articles have been about byproducts of grains, such as rice, wheat, and corn. These are grains that are universally used and recognized as a major source of food. Most grains that do contain gluten, are also used   as replacements within the manufacturing process to help with cutting down on waste and becoming more energy efficient.

Today I will be exploring the Soya Bean, as it is, a very well known Asian crop.  benefits. Soya Bean, is native to Asia and has many uses. Found traditionally in the form of the “tofu”, “natto” , “soya bean milk” and “natto”, the Soya bean has been known to be a good source of protein and has also been found to be nutritionally equivalent  to meat and eggs. Found in processed foods and animal feeds, it is a global crop that is sourced for its protein and oil. The soya bean has changed the way farm animals are raised, from a farm to an industrial level.

Soya materials are renewable, environmentally friendly and now can be found in other products as well.

Building Materials

Soya products with recent advances in building technology can be now used as an alternative to petro-chemical based materials and finishes.  These products can be used in areas of buildings such as adhesives, plastics, insulation, barriers, sealants and coatings.  Soy as a biodiesel can also be part of a buildings fuel mix.

It is a wonderful alternative as it’s a renewable source, being abundant due to the production of animal feed and refined vegetable oil.

Low Toxicity

Soya bean construction materials are less harmful than petroleum and other chemical substances as they are low in in volatile organic compounds (VOC) and urea-formaldehyde especially in wood products such as the oriented strand board (OSB), particle board  and the medium-density fiberboard (MDF)

Uses in Plywood

Soy Adhesives are used in making plywood as it replaces the formaldehyde adhesives; which are harmfule to the air and causes  “sick building” syndrome. The Soya adhesives are also resistant to heat and fire , and are much lighter than the traditional wood products. Soy adhesives are used in wall construction, casework, flooring and furnishings.

Soya materials are renewable, environmentally friendly and now can be found in other products as well.

Soy Oils

Soya Bean Oils have good drying properties and are good for inks, paints and industrial coating, and in construction, now it has also found that it can be used for architectural coatings and paintings. And these are good options, especially for interior paints as they emit low-VOC ‘s.

Soy replacing asphalt cement

Soy is also now being used as a base material for producing asphalt cement, which is a component in roof shingles.

Soya replacing plastics

An alternative to using petrochemical components, the Soya bean plant, its polypols can be used as a base for thermoset plastics in place of polyurethane.  As it can also replace styrene butadiene and polyvinyl chloride (PVC);  it is becoming a “safer” alternative!

In construction or building:

It can be found in spray foams, carpet backing, foams for furniture and high-density soy foams for decorative materials.

The carpet backing and backing for outdoor carpet and artificial turf; reduces the VOC emissions and flammability.

Soya Foams, for furnishings, built in seating is already used extensively in the automative and furniture industries. Car companies such as Ford will be using the plant-based foam  for seats. As it reduces carbon dioxide emissions and produces less energy when produced.

In conclusion, the soya bean, is a safer and more environmentally friendly alternative and it is a good idea to look for products that have components in them to use for building and construction purposes.