1. Process development for preparation of bioplastic films from soy proteins and soybean oilbased latexes.
2. Characterization and testing of the developed soy-based films to determine their feasibility as bioplastics for food packaging applications.
Longer term goal is to provide soy-based films materials and test them at industrial partner facilities (will be identified during this project) to evaluate perspectives of this new product commercialization.

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Research conducted
The industry of food packaging materials has been expanding significantly over the past few decades to provide a progress in maintaining the food quality, improving the shelf-life of the food products and providing the safe environment for food storage and transportation. The existed problems linked with using synthetic food packing materials have moved the research to utilize natural resources for food packaging materials production.
Some plant-based materials can be an attractive option for bioplastic formation as they demonstrate inherent properties which are desirable in plastic film formation, such as flexibility and water barrier performance.
In this work, we demonstrate feasibility of using soy derivatives, including soy protein and soybean oil in synthesizing bioplastic films which can be applied for food packaging.

Why the research is important to ND soybean farmers
The proposed using soybean protein and soybean oil for making new bioplastics has the ability to add more value to the crop, thereby make it more profitable for farmers. Newly developed materials can diversify soy-based products with increased demand for soybean oil and soy protein in manufacturing of bioplastics.
The market will receive soy-based food packaging materials. This will also help the state of North Dakota economy to involve investors and other soy processing industries.

Final findings of the research
We show that bioplastic films from soy derivatives (soy protein and soybean oil) are not only feasible, but have advanced mechanical and barrier properties, as well as an enhanced performance. These materials can be attractive alternatives to traditional plastics. Besides, the compatibility of multiple soybean derived materials alongside natural film forming additives was demonstrated.

Benefits/Recommendations to North Dakota soybean farmers and industry
This work benefits the North Dakota soybean farmers and industry by establishing additional uses for multiple derivatives of the soybean. Current study focuses on the use in food packaging applications, however, there is evidence that these advances may be turned to agricultural applications as well, thus benefitting the farmers and industry even further by providing a biobased and literally “home-grown” option for agricultural products such as mulch and plant clips.