# Presentation: 033275

## Biobased Products - Opportunities for Use as Substitutes

- Sueanne Pfifferling
- Presented to
- Federal Environmental Symposium East
- June 4, 2008

## What is a Biobased Product?

- Products that use or are composed of, in whole or part, biological products or renewable agricultural or forestry materials.
- Some common biobased feedstocks:
- Soy, corn and other vegetable oils
- Wheat, straw, rice, potato starch
- Citrus

## Benefits of Using Biobased Products as Substitutes?

- Providing safer and healthier workplaces
- Helping stewardship goal of protecting and preserving the environment
- Contributing to national energy security through reduced oil use

## Why Should Federal Agencies Be Interested in Using Biobased Products as Substitutes?

- E.O. 13423 (January 2007)
*Requires the reduction in the use of toxic and hazardous chemicals and materials acquired*
*Requires the use of sustainable environmental practices in the acquisition of goods and services, including acquisition of biobased products*
- 2002 Farm Bill
*Established a purchasing preference for biobased products*
*Implemented through USDA’s BioPreferred**SM** Program*
*USDA has issued Guidelines for implementing preferred purchasing programs*
*USDA has designated 33 biobased items for preferred purchasing*
*Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) was amended in *
*	**November 2007 to incorporate purchasing requirements for USDA-designated biobased items*

## USDA-Designed Biobased Items for Preferred Purchasing

| Mobile equipment hydraulic fluids | Disposable containers | Dust suppressants |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Penetrating lubricants | Fertilizers | Carpets |
| Diesel fuel additives | Sorbents | Carpet and upholstery cleaners |
| Roof coatings | Graffiti and grease removers | Bathroom and spa cleaners  |
| Bedding, bed linens, and towels | 2-Cycle engine oils | Concrete and asphalt release fluids |
| Water tank coatings | Lip care products | General purpose de-icers |
| Adhesive and mastic removers | Films | Firearm lubricants  |
| Plastic insulating foam for construction | Stationary equipment hydraulic fluids | Floor strippers |
| Hand cleaners and sanitizers | Disposable cutlery | Laundry products |
| Composite panels | Glass cleaners | Metalworking fluids |
| Fluid-filled transformers | Greases | Wood and concrete sealers |

## What Type of Applications Present Opportunities for Substitutions?

- Some main target areas
- Lubricants
- Plastics
- Solvents
- Coatings and Adhesives

## Lubricant Applications

**Use of vegetable oils to replace petroleum base stock oils in lubricant applications**
**Current Applications**
**Performance/Benefits**

| Hydraulic Fluids | Rail & Flange Oils  |
| --- | --- |
| Two-Cycle Engine Oils  | Wire Rope Lubricants  |
| Bar/Chain/Penetrating Oils  | Metal Working/Cutting Fluids |
| Greases | Transformer Fluid |

| Higher viscosity  | Higher flash point |
| --- | --- |
| Lower evaporative loss | Readily biodegradable |
| Enhanced lubricity | Lower toxicity |

## Plastics Applications

**Natural oils used to replace petroleum (1) to make polyols used in polyurethane and (2) as ingredients in polyester resins.  Corn, wheat and other starch/ sugars can be used to make polymers for plastic applications.**
**Current Applications**
**Performance/Benefits**

| Carpet backing and fiber face | Food serviceware |
| --- | --- |
| Spray foam insulation  | Clothing |
| Foam for furnishings | Packaging |
| Molded composites |  |

| Rigid and Flexible applications | Improved environmental life cycle |
| --- | --- |
| Cure times/Energy use | Durability/Biodegradability |
| Strength/Weight | LEED Credit |

## Solvent Applications

**Methyl soyate, ethyl lactate, citrus are some of the most common biosolvents used to replace petro-chemical ingredients.**
**Current Applications**
**Performance/Benefits**

| Industrial Cleaners/Degreasers | Adhesive/Mastic/Graffiti Removers |
| --- | --- |
| Parts Cleaners | Hand Cleaners |
| Paint Strippers | Janitorial Cleaners |
| Coating & Ink Removal | Deicers |

| Dwell times | Low / negligible VOC emissions |
| --- | --- |
| Enhanced solvency | Not HAPS/ODCs |
| Virtually non-toxic | High Flash/Boiling Point |

## Coatings, Adhesives and Other Applications

**Use of vegetable oils and other biobased ingredients, such as soy flour, to replace petro-chemical ingredients in certain applications and/or applying modified vegetable oil for use in unique applications.**
**Current Applications**
**Benefits of Various Applications**

| Roof and other coatings | Wood adhesives & glues |
| --- | --- |
| Paints & sealants & fabric coatings | Truck bed liners |
| Soy ink | Remediation/Spill cleanup |
| Toner for printers & copiers | Asphalt restoration and repair |

| Low VOC emissions | Enhanced performance |
| --- | --- |
| LEED & Energy Star |  |
| Lower petro/toxic chemical use |  |

## Who is Recognizing the Benefits of Biobased Products?

- Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards
- EPA’s Design for the Environment (DfE) Program
- CleanGredients**TM**

## Who is Using Biobased Products?

- Many federal agencies are already successfully using biobased products.
- Examples of biobased products being use as substitutes include:
- replacing a variety of petro-chemical based solvents in general purpose cleaners
- replacing methylene chloride for paint stripping
- replacing a variety of petro-chemical based industrial solvents for adhesive and mastic removers, graffiti removers, and parts washing fluids
- replacing chemical and plastic bead paint stripping systems
- replacing a petro-chemical scrubber/degreaser to better control wastewater discharge
- replacing petroleum-based cooling fluids in over 150 power transformers at military installations
- replacing petroleum-based general penetrating lubricants and greases, and hydraulic fluids in maintenance and construction equipment, elevators, lifts, and security barriers
- replacing petro-chemical backings on carpets and petro-chemical disposable plastic plates, bowls and utensils
- using energy saving biobased roof coatings and insulation
- using building panels made from compressed wheat straw
- using biobased absorbents
- using “biowalls” instead of a “pump-and-treat” system for cleanup of contaminated groundwater

## Approaches to Increasing the Use of Biobased Products

- Using Off the Shelf Products
- Capture the low hanging fruit
- Check the availability and product performance specs of what is already available in the commercial marketplace
- Make the switches that make sense for your facility and ones that are required by the BioPreferred program
- Look at life cycle costs not just first costs
- Reformulation
- Look at materials/chemicals being used in high volume or that present EHS management challenges
- Review life cycle impacts
- Work with suppliers to evaluate reformulation options using biobased feedstocks

## Approaches to Increasing the Use of Biobased Products

- Demonstration/Trial Projects
- Consider a demonstration or trial project before making a substitution
- Allows evaluation of important factors
- Performance
- Cost/effectiveness
- Transition Issues
- Benefits
- Allows for iterations and adjustments
- Allows for collaboration with suppliers and manufacturers

## Information Resources

- USDA BioPreferredSM website: _http://www.biopreferred.gov_
- Office of the Federal Environmental Executive: _http://ofee.gov/gp/bioprod.asp_
- Other agencies:
- 	DOE: _http://www.hss.doe.gov/pp/epp/biobased.html_
- 	DoD: _https://www.denix.osd.mil/portal/page/portal/denix/environment/green_procurement_
- 	Interior: _http://www.doi.gov/greening/procure/biobased.html_
- United Soybean Board
- Biobased Solutions for Government website: _http://www.soybiobased.org_
- New Uses website: _http://www.soynewuses.org/_
- National Corn Growers website: _http://www.ncga.com/research/comm_dev_center/index_PG.asp_

## Contact Information

- Sueanne Pfifferling
- Consultant to the
-  United Soybean Board
- _sueanne@pfifferling.com_
- 202-363-0334