A new coating technology, Soy-PK Reactive Oligomer Cross-Linker, which could be used to replace Bisphenol A (BPA) in a wide variety of applications has been awarded second place in the Bio-Based Chemical Innovation of the Year category during the 2016 Bio-Based Innovation Awards. This award follows recognition of the product during the 2015 European Coatings Innovation event as one of the top 10 innovative technologies of the year.

The soy-based alternative was created by the Ohio Soybean Council (OSC) and soybean checkoff in partnership with researchers at Battelle in Columbus, Ohio.

“We’re very happy to receive this level of recognition and interest in Soy-PK,” said Barry McGraw, OSC Director of Product Development and Commercialization. “It’s great timing with respect to market trends and consumer demands. We have the potential to fill that gap for food production, such as food, beer or soda companies.”

Many food packaging companies have been working to find alternatives to BPA since research has proven its potential to release chemical toxins over time. Research and development on the soy-based resin has shown its potential to provide excellent corrosion resistance for aluminum and steel cans which is a key attribute when packaging highly acidic food and beverages. Soy-PK also dries quickly which allows production facilities to maintain line speeds when spraying or applying the coating to food or beverage containers.

OSC is actively marketing the technology to different levels of the packaging industry value chain and has received worldwide interest in licensing the product.

“It’s exciting to see this technology go from the lab to being recognized as an award-winning technology,” said Nathan Eckle, OSC Research Committee Chair and soybean farmer from Wood County. “We hope to see it used in consumer products in the near future.”