Ford Researchers Discover Soy Oil Doubles Rubber’s

Ford Motor Company’s biomaterial researchers have discovered that by using soy oil as a 25 percent replacement for petroleum oil, it more than doubles the rubber’s stretchability while reducing its environmental impact. The soy-based rubbers could be used to manufacture automotive parts such as radiator deflector shields, air baffles, cupholder inserts and floor mats for future Ford vehicle programs.

Ford researchers found that soy fillers could provide an inexpensive and environmentally-friendly partial replacement of carbon black, a petroleum-based material traditionally used to reinforce rubber. According to researchers, soy oil and soy fillers, used together, could replace up to 26 percent of the petroleum-based content in automotive rubber applications.