Soy protein could help create more environmentally friendly rubber.

The mechanical properties of rubber can be improved by incorporating some filler material in the rubber matrix. Traditionally, carbon black is added to artificial rubber produced from styrene-butadiene which increases the tensile strength significantly.  Carbon black, though, is typically produced from fossil fuels of some sort, so there’s interest in replacing it with a more environmentally friendly compound, such as soy protein.  Saying it is one thing, and doing it is quite another.  The challenge lies in the details, which is where research by the Agricultural Research Service of the USDA comes in.  To quantify the effects of moisture, it first needed to be measured, which is where the moisture analyzer comes in.

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