Demand for ecologically friendly polyurethane made from soybean oil is on the increase as consumers respond to its "green" credentials.
Last year saw an upsurge in controversies over the deployment of grain and other food commodities in questionably "green" energy generation. After early warning shots were fired by environmentalist groups, support for converting food crop areas into feedstock for energy dwindled a little. Significant areas of land previously used for growing food crops has been converted to feedstock crops in South and Central America and Africa, though exact figures are hard to come by.
Deltron, Inc. is among companies looking into sustainability issues.
Deltron said its wholly owned manufacturing subsidiary, Elasco Inc., had recorded an increase in sales of its newly formulated "green" polyurethanes.
Elasco engineered and developed sustainable, energy efficient, proprietary polyurethane formulations made from renewable soybean oil. Orders for its new soy-based polyurethane products have increased this year, Deltron said.
The company said it expected further increases in its sales to existing clients and potential new customers who are interested in reducing their carbon footprint and marketing their products as eco-friendly.
Elasco focused a percentage of its product development efforts on formulating more eco-friendly offerings. The soy-based polyurethane resulted from that research. It matches the performance of petroleum-based polyurethane while dramatically decreasing its carbon footprint, Deltron said.
Polyols, the raw material for polyurethane, can be extracted from soybeans rather than petroleum, it added. Using soy polyols reduces demand and dependence on non-renewable petroleum reserves. It also eliminates the use of volatile organic compounds, decreases energy requirements for the manufacturing process and reduces emissions by 36 percent, Deltron said.
Deltron's manufacturing subsidiary is generating sales of the new green formulations in the recreational sports market. The largest percentage of sales has been to longboard skateboard manufacturers who market the soy-based wheels produced by Elasco as green and environmentally sustainable.
Deltron said it intends to expand its sales and marketing activities to other customers in the high performance sporting sector, including roller skate manufacturers, exercise equipment makers and other consumer products suppliers.
Deltron Chief Executive Officer Henry Larrucea said he saw opportunities for growth in the recreational products sector "where manufacturers can leverage our green polyurethane's use of renewable resources and reduced carbon footprint in their marketing efforts."
Elasco is an engineered plastics and polyurethane molding and manufacturing company with a production facility in Garden Grove, California. Blu Vu, a division of Deltron, develops proprietary closed circuit rebreather technology and components that enable commercial and recreational divers to go deeper, stay underwater longer and recover faster.
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