DuPont and Bunge Broaden Soy Collaboration to Include Biodiesel and Industrial Applications
29 August 2006
DuPont and Bunge have expanded their three-year soy collaboration beyond food and nutrition products to include biofuels, industrial applications and other opportunities.
The first product introduced by the partnership was low-linolenic soybean oil. Other products are in the pipeline, including soy oils with high oleic and a combination of high oleic and high stearic oil content.
Soybean oil is a mixture of five fatty acids (palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids) that have very different properties and functionalities. Low-linolenic oil has 1-3% linolenic acid content compared to 7% for normal soybeans. The “ low-lin” oil reduces the need for hydrogenation, thereby reducing or eliminating trans fats—a boon for health-conscious consumers.
Different combinations, however, could provide benefits for biodiesel producers. For example, modifying or reducing palmitic and stearic acid esters while optimizing oleic acid esters could improve cold flow properties, according to an assessment by the US Department of Agriculture. Other combinations might improve the cetane numbers.
DuPont is increasing its efforts to deliver new technologies to the growing biofuels market, including: improving biofuel production through improved seed and crop protection products; developing new technologies to allow conversion of cellulose to biofuels; and developing next generation biofuels, including biobutanol.
In addition to developing corn hybrids for ethanol, DuPont subsidiary Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., is characterizing Pioneer brand soybean varieties for oil content to determine impact on biodiesel production.
To reflect their broader collaboration, DuPont and Bunge are launching a new brand name—TREUS—for the family of soy products developed by the partnership. The low-linolenic soybean oil produced from Pioneer brand soybean varieties, and previously marketed as NUTRIUM Low Linolenic Soybean Oil, will now be marketed as TREUS Low Linolenic Soybean Oil.
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I am a Biodiesel user and I'm glad to see that they are looking to improve the soybean output.
However, why don't they just plant other oil producers that give a higher yeild. Any Biod geek can name three or four that are better than Soy beans. Why haven't the American farmers figured it out?
Posted by: Joseph | 29 August 2006 at 09:35 AM
Where is all the bio-diesel going to be coming from, as farmers will be planting to maximize corn output for E85?
Posted by: Mark A | 29 August 2006 at 11:31 AM
Don't even joke like that. Even the novices know that corn is not the best feed stock for Ethenol. I know corn is really being pushed right now. But, maybe enough indies will try sugerbeats or something and the higher yeilds will convince more big farmers to change.
Posted by: Joseph | 29 August 2006 at 03:01 PM
Joseph,
Like sweet sorghum. Same/better yields per acre vs sugar cane/sugar beet, but less water demanding. 3-7+ energy balance when factoring in irrigation energy consumption. It also stands up to droughts and heat waves far better than corn or sugar beet.
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___The main downside is the yield per ton, which is lower than either sugar beet or cane, and far lower than corn. This leads to high transport costs. One workaround is a mobile crusher/juicer. The sugary liquid is removed from the stalks are then preserved, put into tankers, and processed at an alcohol plant. If EEI butanol is the objective, then the process can produce H2, as well as butanol while using stalks as well as sweet sap.
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___Ultimately, 42,000 gallon per acre yields from algae or some other form of fast growing biomass will arrive. Various processes will be needed to convert them from stalks and slime to usable fuel. The pitfall may be how energy intensive those methods will be, and will effect energy balance from nuke, indirect solar, and fossil energy sources. Direct solar promises to change that, but willl require similarly enormously large (10,000 sq miles and up) surface area.
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