SoyGuard® products help contribute to the coating industry’s major environmental challenge of reducing Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emissions!

VOC's are hydrocarbons released from burning fuel such as gasoline and oil as well as vapors from paints and solvents. These vapors are released into the atmosphere and are acted upon by the sun and heat and combine with Nitrogen Oxides to form smog.

The use of solvents in coatings continues to be restricted by stringent regulations. Solvents have traditionally been used as carriers and diluents in many coating and paint products, including the solvents Toluene, Acetone, and Xylene. However, the emission of VOCs and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) from such coatings has been cited as a contributor to poor air quality and smog formation. The use of solvents as carriers for the resins in coatings is a major contributor to this VOC problem. The soy methyl ester solvent used in SoyGuard® has ultra-low VOC emissions (less than 5% by volume).

The restriction of solvents has caused many manufacturers to reformulate penetrating finishes by either removing solvents resulting in high solid finishes or by relying on waterborne systems. Finishes were traditionally formulated with mineral spirits or organic solvents, a preservative, and water repellent, and a small amount of drying oil as the binder. Presently, more waterborne finishes have been developed and solvent amounts in many formulations have been decreased to meet environmental regulations. Thus, a wide variety of finishes for decks is now available. However, the penetrating characteristics of many finishes have been affected. In some formulations containing natural or synthetic solvents, the proper absorption of the finish is hampered by the high volume of oil on the surface. If the oil is a drying oil, it may dry before absorbing into dense areas on the wood.

Some of the newer water-based coatings are semi-transparent acrylic blends that due to their higher molecular weight, still form a film on the surface and are subject to the cracking that is characteristic of all film-forming finishes. A film finish cracks as wood expands and contracts during normal moisture cycling, and water gets underneath the finish and deteriorates the wood. Generally, film-forming finishes are not recommended for decks.

Natural oils (linseed and tung, for example) are initially very effective in stopping the absorption of water into wood, but they tend to darken over time because they are a food for fungi. Wood treated with natural oils and resins generally need extensive cleaning before reapplying the finish.

Our formula contains a solvent that evaporates from the wood surface leaving behind a polystyrene film. The solvent also absorbs into wood by capillary action and remains in the wood to provide additional protection from water damage. The advantages of our solvent is they do not harm the environment after evaporating and do not serve as a food for most biological growth, making future coats easier to apply.

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Why Purchase Biobased Products?

Biobased products contain materials derived from soybeans, corn and other renewable resources. SoyGuard is biobased and composed in significant part (more than 90%) of renewable domestic agricultural plant materials.

Biobased Products Perform Better

Biobased products such as SoyGuard perform better than or equal to their petroleum-based counterparts.

Creates Safer and Healthier Home and Workplace

The use of biobased products like SoyGuard creates a safer and healthier home and workplace by decreasing the use of more toxic substances used in many wood coatings, stains, and sealers.

Substitute for Petroleum-based products

Biobased products such as SoyGuard help with our national energy security by reducing reliance on foreign oil.

Protects and Preserves the Environment

The use of biobased products such as SoyGuard also helps in protecting and preserving the environment by reducing air emissions. SoyGuard uses biobased solvents that are low in VOCs and are not classified as Hazardous Air Pollutants.

For each gallon of SoyGuard used to protect a wood deck instead of a petroleum-based wood sealer or stain, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is reduced by more than 19 pounds.*

* Based on a life cycle inventory analysis completed by The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in April 2003 that showed for every one pound of soybean oil used to replace petroleum, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is reduced by 2.77 pounds. SoyGuard contains close to 7 lbs of methyl soyate per gallon.


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Methyl Soyate: Good for your deck, good for America

SoyGuard President, Brad Davis, contributes his knowledge to trade magazine Paint Dealer about the benefits of using bio-based products.

What is methyl soyate?

SoyGuard® is formulated with methyl soyate, a natural solvent and oil that absorbs deeply into wood providing superior protection from degradation. In addition to the polystyrene barrier provided by our products, the methyl soyate acts as a sealer, supplying additional surface protection for wood from water damage.

Methyl soyate is a soy methyl ester derived from soybean oil. It has numerous environmentally friendly and worker friendly properties and characteristics. It is lower in toxicity than most petroleum derived solvents. It is readily biodegradable. It has a very high flash point, and a low level of volatile organic compounds (VOC) - less than 0.4 lbs/gallon. It is also a non-irritant to eyes or skin. It is NOT classified by the US Environmental Protection Agency as a hazardous air pollutant, an ozone depleting chemical, or a volatile organic compound.

What are the positive environmental impacts of using methyl soyate as a solvent in wood care applications?

Formulating specialty wood care and coating products with methyl soyate helps solve many environmental resource problems and supports American Farmers. Methyl soyate is made from renewable resources (Soybeans) produced by American Farmers. Many other solvent borne and oil-based wood care products use solvents made from imported petroleum, creating a dependence on imported fossil fuels. Use of methyl soyate does not damage the ozone, unlike many leading solvent and oil-based formulas. It is also an alternative to the traditional chlorinated, hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon solvents being regulated out of the market as ozone depleting chemicals, hazardous air pollutants and volatile organic compounds. The positive environmental properties of soy products make them ideal for sensitive applications and for safety conscious consumers. Methyl Soyate is biodegradable if spilled and is non-flammable, unlike many solvents and petroleum distillates currently used in coating and waterproofing applications.

Methyl soyate is an excellent, safe and cost-effective solvent and is compatible with most surface materials and other organic materials. In addition, Methyl soyate is a biodegradable solvent and does not have a long-term negative affect in soil or in the atmosphere in case of accidental spills.

The fragrance strongly resembles cooking oil or deep-fat fryer oil. Use SoyGuard…and no longer worry about the safety and health consequences of the strong odors and vapors associated with many other solvent-based waterproofing and coating products.

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