A Study of the Intellectual Property Related to the Production of Polyurethanes from Soybeans

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Objective(s)

The objective of this Industry Canada (IC) project was to build a methodology for exploring the patent literature related to a particular set of biomass technologies, and for combining the patent literature findings with information gathered from market research and industry news sources, in order to form a more complete understanding of the environment in which those biomass technologies are being developed. This research was undertaken to develop a better understanding of how the patent literature might help position future research by identifying areas of opportunity or conversely areas to avoid because of strongly held patents.

Description

The vast majority of plastics available today are petroleum-based. Such plastics have two disadvantages which are becoming increasingly apparent: their production depends on crude oil, a finite natural resource, and today's plastics persist in the environment. Bio-based plastics on the other hand are derived from renewable feedstocks (vegetable or animal oils) and are highly biodegradable. Other advantages include the fact that they are usually less expensive to produce while retaining or even improving upon the desirable properties of their petrochemical analogues.

One of the feedstocks used in the production of bioplastics is soybeans. The greatest growth opportunity for soybeans is generally considered to be in the production of soy-based polyols (chemical substances having multiple hydroxyl (-OH) groups) for the polyurethane industry. When reacted with isocyanates (functional group: -N=C=O), polyols are converted to urethane polyols or polyurethanes, highly versatile plastics displaying a range of mechanical properties. This project consisted of examining four aspects of the value chain which leads from soybeans to soy polyurethanes including the genetic modification of soybeans to alter their oil composition profile, the cultivation and harvesting of soybeans, the physical and chemical processing of soybeans to obtain soybean oil, and the chemical conversion of soybean oil into soy polyols and of soy polyols into soy polyurethanes. Patent datasets corresponding to each of these four aspects were examined; particular emphasis was put on chemical conversions using FOCUST, an integrated patent search and analysis tool. Chemical conversions at the latter end of the value chain (namely the conversion of soybean oil to soy polyols, and the conversion of soy polyols to soy polyurethanes) were of interest. Patents were searched, analyzed, and interpreted. These included patents for genetic modifications which raise or lower the levels of various fatty acids in soybean oil; herbicides and pesticides; the synthesis of soy polyols and soy polyurethanes; and the processing of soybeans and soybean oil primarily for foodstuffs (bleaching and deodorizing of soybean oil). Companies and research organizations as well as their partnerships were identified. Certain difficulties inherent to the value chain approach were encountered. Patents tended to describe inventions which may involve or may be applied to a range of materials (all oilseed crops, vegetable oils, and oleochemical polyols). Furthermore, few patents were soybean specific, those referring to the beginning of the value chain did not explicitly point toward the result (the product at the end of the value chain), were general in nature, and relationships between companies and research organizations were not always evident.

Significant Outcomes

Plastics made from biomass have the potential to replace petroleum-based plastics in many applications. Bioplastics are environmentally friendly, derived from a renewable source, and less expensive to produce. The production of polyurethanes from soybeans has great potential in many applications in both industrial and consumer products. Results from the patent literature analysis suggest that soy polyols and soy polyurethanes represent an area of bioproduct technology undergoing rapid development. Partnerships between companies and research organizations can help companies expand their presence across the entire value chain; from soybeans to soy polyurethanes. The research tools and techniques employed in this study are powerful and flexible, and may be adapted to respond to a wide variety of information needs. With further development, including expert input, future studies could result in key information to aid in decision-making.