Soy–Based Insulation

Soy is both renewable and sustainable, two qualities that make it an ideal alternative for addressing a number of energy-related challenges. According to the United Soybean Board, Americans used 450 million gallons of soy-based diesel fuel in 2007, a nine-fold increase over the previous five year period. Consequently, the thought of extending soy for building materials, specifically insulation, is not at all far-fetched and offers the following notable advantages:

• Growing soy involves no drilling or spilling, and
• It is a successful domestic industry that precludes sending dollars overseas.

Given that soy can be transformed into oil for use in building products, thus removing all food value and becoming pest resistant without added chemicals, it is an ideal insulation solution for those consumers with chemical sensitivities or who strive for cleaner indoor air.

Alternative Insulation Materials

Prior to addressing the features of soy-based insulation, let’s first explore the more traditional insulation materials used today:

• Fiberglass – Rolled out and placed between studs in a wall before the sheet rock is installed, fiberglass is economical and can be installed by the layperson. But, if not properly sized and leaving gaps, the exterior cold or heat will get in your home.
• Cellulose – Wood-based and treated with borate to repel pests, this fluffy material is into wall cavities and attics.
• Rigid Foam – Made from petroleum-based oils, these panels of stiff foam are placed between the studs.
• Blown in Foam – Traditionally coming from petroleum-based materials and blown into wall cavities as an urea formaldehyde liquid that expands up to 100 times and seals every nook and cranny as a rigid foam, this type of insulating process is where the soybean oil-based material can play a major role. First, traditional blown in foam is classified as a carcinogen, and rather than using the urea formaldehyde liquid, soy-based foam uses water as the blowing agent.

Types and Benefits of Soy-Based Insulation

There are two basic types of soy-based foam insulation:

• Open cell has a lower R-value but is less expensive.
• Closed cell has a higher R value, is more expensive, and acts as both a vapor and an air barrier.

And the benefits are noteworthy:

• Saves energy,
• Comes from a renewable source, and
• Less toxic for humans.