This podcast highlights research funded by the United Soybean Board exploring how soy-derived materials can replace petroleum-based ingredients in paints and coatings. Stonebridge Coatings Laboratory has been evaluating soy methyl esters (SMEs), derived from soybean oil, as alternatives to PCBTF, a petroleum-based solvent used to reduce VOCs in coating formulations. Testing has shown that soy-based solvents can achieve comparable VOC reduction while delivering strong performance, including improved flexibility and corrosion protection in alkyd primers. The research is part of USB’s broader investment in demonstrating the performance of soy-based coating materials and helping the industry adopt more renewable, domestically sourced alternatives.
The work is featured in PCI Magazine’s “Coat It!” podcast episode, “Evaluating Soy-Derived Solvents in Alkyd Coatings for VOC Reduction,” which discusses the testing, performance compared with PCBTF, VOC reduction and the formulation considerations involved in using soy-derived solvents.