Because the soybean is so versatile, there are many other
applications for soy beyond food-use. Soy can provide various
functional benefits, including viscosity, emulsification, adhesion and lubrication, in industries ranging from agriculture and animal feed to industrial applications. Soy lecithins and polymers are the most common non-food markets, and Solae works with companies to develop the right application for their unique needs.
Solae's high-quality soy protein and fiber products can provide
solutions — nutritional and functional — to manufacturers involved in both human and animal food chains. The agribusiness division is focused on delivering solutions to the challenges of rapidly growing, healthy young animals, caring for companion animals and addressing nitrogen requirements of fermentation and other agricultural industries.
Solae offers solutions for farms and industry within the following markets:
- Companion animal nutrition — Unique, high-quality nutritional and functional solutions for companion animal foods, supplement and treats
- Livestock nutrition — Measureable, consistent, high-density feed, including amino acid density, specialty fiber or phospholipids, used in production agriculture
- Pet food functionality — Exceptional functional properties of products, including stabilization, lubricity, surface release, dispersion, freshness, emulsification, even dust suppression
- Pharma — Consistent, high-quality fermentation, promoting growth of healthy plants and helpful microbes
- Agronomy — Stable, slow-release source of nitrogen that makes lawns greener, and keeps soils healthy for landscape architects and professional groundskeepers
Solae provides products that are more than just highly refined ingredients. Solae's
research and development team of experts works with manufacturers to develop and deliver high-quality performance feeds, foods and fermentation products. With
extensive knowledge and
market research in agribusiness industries, Solae can also assist with marketing and product positioning to discover new revenue opportunities. Solae partners with their customers to help improve their products, their process and their profitability.
Lecithin is a naturally occurring group of phospholipids which is widely recognized as a versatile surfactant for use in industrial applications, such as cosmetics, wire manufacturing, paint, automotive construction, plastic molding and agricultural chemicals. Soybeans are the primary commercial source of lecithin.
Lecithin is nature's most abundant surfactant and one of the most versatile. It can release, wet, disperse, emulsify, lubricate and control product viscosity and crystallization. It also may function as a softening agent, an emollient or an anti-dusting agent. What's more, lecithin can perform several of these functions simultaneously. It's both an effective and efficient surfactant.
Solae's main polymer products, sold as
DuPont™ Pro-Cote® Brand Soy Polymers, are highly differentiated, environmentally-friendly specialty chemicals developed from innovative technology that provides performance characteristics specific to end-use applications.
DuPont Soy Polymers offers unique capabilities that are tailored to meet the growing requirements and needs of the various markets we serve. Pro-Cote® Brand Soy Polymers impart a combination of functional properties not provided by any other single ingredient presently on the market. Even though the use level of Pro-Cote as a percentage of a formulation is low, the performance properties have a noticeable impact on the manufacturer's productivity and end-product quality.
The key attributes of soy polymers are:
- Chemically modified soy‑based materials
- Natural, biodegradable, renewable resource
- Non-animal, vegetable, alkaline-soluble protein derivatives
- Polypeptides with a variety of approximately 20 amino acids
- Multiple features: anionic, cationic, polar, non-polar components
Key functionalities include:
- Adhesive strength
- Amphoteric: cationic/anionic
- Hydrophilic/hydrophobic
- Interaction with pigments/minerals
- Water holding
- Heat resistance/non-thermoplasticity
- Filmforming
- Foaming effect
- Emulsifying/protective colloid effect