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John Deere: Using Soybeans to Harvest Soybeans
 John Deere has introduced their new 2002 Deere 50-Series combines with soy-based HarvestForm panels. One of the panels featured on the new combine is created from a soy-based polymer developed by Urethane Soy Systems Corporation (USSC). Two other panels found on the combine are composed of soy and corn-based resin developed by Ashland Chemical.
The United Soybean Board (USB) funded the new product research through soybean farmers' checkoff dollars. The USB's New Uses Committee worked in conjunction with John Deere in commercializing the product.
Soy-based polyurethane products hold many benefits. One being the use of this polyurethane is not limited to farm machinery. It can be used in automotive, marine, computer, and medical equipment. Along with being environmentally safe, it is also economical.
"SoyOyl is made from soybean oil, which is a natural replacement for petroleum oil," said Tom Kurth, president of USSC. "End products made with these oils have virtually the same characteristics, and are equal in performance. The biggest difference is the economics of the raw material. SoyOyl products can be produced for less than standard petroleum-based products."
John Deere has tested the new product extensively to prove durability and high performance. The new composite is comparably strong in relationship to the old, but weighs two percent less than steel.
"The potential for soybeans in plastic composites is real," said John Cerny, a polymer application development engineer at the John Deere Technical Center. "Our laboratory test demonstrates [the] soy-based polymer to be equivalent to some petro-plastic composites as far as material toughness is concerned."
With industry leaders, such as John Deere, paving the way for new uses of soy-based products awareness is bound to increase. It is also hopeful that other leading manufacturers will adopt the use of soy-based products that are environmentally friendly and economically sound.
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