2022
Soy-Based Biodegradable Agriculture Mulching Materials
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Contributor/Checkoff:
North Dakota Soybean Council
Category:
Industrial
Keywords:
(none assigned)
Parent Project:
This is the first year of this project.
Lead Principal Investigator:
Dean Webster, North Dakota State University
Co-Principal Investigators:
Project Code:
QSSB
Contributing Organization (Checkoff):
North Dakota Soybean Council
$12,885
Institution Funded:
North Dakota State University
$12,885
Brief Project Summary:

In this project, researchers will explore the development of a new biodegradable, soy-based composite material for agricultural and landscaping applications. The material will be developed for a biodegradable mulching material for weed suppression. It will be pressed into customized panels and applied as soil cover for moisture and weed control. The soy-based material will compete with existing plastic mulching film and biodegradable plastic mulch, which offers lower environmental impact but is not completely biodegradable. It is expected that the new soy-based composite material will be an inexpensive alternative, being completely biodegradable and beneficially impacting the soil.

Key Benefactors:
farmers, scientists, engineers

Information And Results
Project Deliverables

This project aims to achieve a proof of concept, testing the material in the laboratory and in-field environment, to evaluation of the feasibility of launching a commercial product. The short-term desired deliverable includes the development of new soybean oil-based polymer that will work as a binder for cellulose/lignin-filled composites, formulation of composites and laboratory testing to determine sustainability as a mulching film. The desired longterm outcome includes the testing of new soy-based material in a field environment and the proof of concept for commercial use.

Final Project Results

Updated November 30, 2022:

View uploaded report PDF file

A soy-based aqueous latex coating formulation was developed using modified soybean oil, acrylic acid, and vinyl acetate. The content of soybean oil in the latex formulation and in the polymer is 19.2% and 57.1%, respectively. The biobased polymer obtained from soy latex was studied for film-forming and physical properties, while the latex was tested for stability. The formulation containing soy-based polymer emulsion was developed and applied as a coating to different papers such as landscaping weed barrier paper (WBP) and brown kraft paper (BKP). WBP is a commercial product used as a biodegradable mulching material. It has limited application due to its high decomposition rate. Soy polymer-coated and uncoated paper samples were tested for decomposition and weight decrease on the field from 06.04.2022 till 10.09.2022 (Figure 1). The uncoated WBP and BKP show much higher decomposition rates than their soy-coated counterparts and were completely degraded after 14 weeks. The soy polymer-coated WBP and BKP showed some visible degradation only after 10 weeks but were intact until the end of the test.
Dry soy polymer film which was used for the coating of paper was tested for aerobic biodegradability in the laboratory following the standard test method ASTM D5988. The results presented in Figure 2 confirm the biodegradability of soy polymer however the degradation rate is 2.3 times slower than the degradation rate for corn starch used as a reference.
The concept of the use of polymer from modified soybean oil for biodegradable mulching material was successfully demonstrated and the new polymer shows promising results in reducing the degradation rate of cellulose-based material, while still being biodegradable. The synthesis and formulation of new biobased waterborne latex are free from solvents and harsh chemicals, and the polymer is biodegradable. The new biobased polymer emulsion can have wide applications for biodegradable mulching material and other materials for landscaping and agricultural use.

The United Soybean Research Retention policy will display final reports with the project once completed but working files will be purged after three years. And financial information after seven years. All pertinent information is in the final report or if you want more information, please contact the project lead at your state soybean organization or principal investigator listed on the project.