From staff reports A partnership between Cross Plains Solutions and the soy checkoff gives firefighters less to worry about with the invention of SoyFoam. SoyFoam is 100% free of intentionally 3added perand polyfluoroalkyl substances and is made with no fluorines. Certified 84% biobased, this product gives first responders a way to stop fires while better preserving their lung health.
“As a farmer and former volunteer firefighter for 23 years, the various applications of SoyFoam to extinguish and control fires could protect more than 1 million firefighters in the U.S. alone,” said Steve Reinhard, Ohio farmer and chair of the United Soybean Board, which administers the national soy checkoff. “One of our main priorities on behalf of the half-million U.S. soybean farmers is to create biobased alternatives safer for people and our environment. SoyFoam is just one example of creating sustainable soy solutions, and I’m proud that farmers and firefighters are coming together for the greater good.”
Soyfoam utilizes the meal component of the soybean, unlike biofuel, adhesives, coatings, lubricants and plastics which primarily use soybean oil. Finding an important use for the excess meal is astounding for the industry.
Cross Plains Solutions estimates the current applications of SoyFoam TF 1122 have the potential to use the protein from 12 million bushels of soybeans, and new uses for the product are on the horizon.
“We are proud to partner with U.S. Soy to launch this breakthrough firefighting foam for use by fire departments across the nation,” said Cross Plains Solutions’ Managing Partner Alan Snipes. “Our manufacturing plant in Georgia is ready to produce SoyFoam now, so fire departments can ask their suppliers to offer it. We also see demand for numerous additional applications, ranging from canisters to sprinkler systems.”