With the rising popularity of green construction research, Research Centre director Zoran Petrovic believes it is time for the product to shine.
?It is always exciting to get something that has potential for commercialisation,? he said.
The Kansas Polymer Research Centre has not been alone in conducting research into the use of soybean oil in concrete. The University of Missouri-Kansas City showed that soybean oil can improve the surface durability of traditional and more environmentally friendly concretes.
In the January 2011 issue of US journal Roads & Bridges, John Kevern, an associate professor of civil engineering at University of Missouri-Kansas City, explained that soybean oil is a newer curing option for concrete. ?The large amount of void space [in pervious and impervious concrete] means that fresh concrete mixtures are very susceptible to moisture evaporation and poor surface durability,? he wrote.
?Research shows that when a soybean oil emulsion is applied to fresh concrete, the water evaporates, reducing surface drying, while the oil that penetrates into the surface concrete pores up to 3mm ? The soybean oil prevents initial evaporation until the plastic is applied and prevents surface marking?.
Sources: Aggregate Research, Roads & Bridges