Soy-based hydrogel ready for biomedical exploration

They have added yet another invention to an already long list of oleochemical accomplishments that includes petroleum-free newspaper ink, industrial lubricants, hydraulic fluids, and aircraft deicers.

Their latest addition is a “hydrogel”. Made from soybean oil, it's a squishy but durable polymer that expands and contracts in response to changes in temperature or acidity levels.

These characteristics make it "suitable for use in the hair-care and drug-delivery areas," says ARS chemist Sevim Z. Erhan. Another potential use is in wound dressings.

Erhan and ARS chemist Zengshe Liu developed the hydrogel in studies at ARS's National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria.

Their invention dovetails with the center's mission of developing new, value-added uses for corn, soybeans, and other Midwest crops, which will benefit farmers, processors, and consumers.

A key focus of the center is to explore options to reduce the myriad uses of petroleum, which include making fuel and polymers like plastic.

"Today's hydrogels are mainly made of synthetic polymers, like polyacrylic acid, polyacrylamide, and so on," notes Erhan, who leads the center's Food and Industrial Oil Research Unit.

“Soybean oil offers the advantage of being a home-grown polymer resource—one that need not be imported or mined from the Earth. Indeed, in 2006, U.S. farmers planted 76 million acres of soybeans, equal to about 38 percent of the world's total oilseed production."

Vegetable-oil-based polymers like the soy hydrogels are biodegradable, notes Erhan.

"The only disadvantage," she adds, "is that their water-absorbing capacity is lower than that of petroleum-based hydrogels."