The global pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) market was estimated at $9.9 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach above $13 billion in 2026 growing at around 6% per year. The packaging industry accounts for the largest segment of the PSAs market ($2 billion in 2018).
PSAs provide adhesion upon light pressure and can be easily fully removed from the substrate by light-pulling force. There is a need for biobased PSAs, especially in the medical industry, most current candidates are non-biodegradable and can cause allergies.
Encouraged by recently obtained results supported by the North Dakota Soybean Council, we plan to further develop highly soy-based PSAs, based on polymers from soy derivatives, soybean oil-based vinyl monomer (SBM), and soybean oil-based polymer surfactant (SBPS) (both invented at NDSU) for applications in food packaging and/or medical industries.
Specific aims include synthesis of SBM and SBPS, formulation of PSAs thereof, and evaluation of properties/performance of highly soy-based PSAs. As demonstrated, the presence of SBM fragments in PSAs provides the needed multiple bonding/debonding, required for these materials to function properly. At the same time, the presence of new SBPS will facilitate controllable physicochemical characteristics of PSAs, enhance soy content in the final material, as well as adhesion properties
Identifying industrial partners to help with evaluating the performance of the highly soy-based pressure-sensitive polymer adhesives selected candidates to test new materials for applications in food packaging and/or medical industries is targeted.

PSA formulations made up of SBM/SBPS-based polymers with at least 65% soy-based constituents, targeted glass transition range (-60oC to -5oC), ability to be permanently tacky, at the same time to be fully removed from the substrate.

1. Formulations of PSAs derived from SBM and newly synthesized SBPS.
2. Characterization/testing of the synthesized range of PSAs from SBM and SBPS to evaluate their feasibility to be applied in food packaging and/or medical applications.
Our goal is to test the selected best candidates of highly soy-based PSAs at industrial partner facilities and seek insights in terms of this new material commercialization.

This proposal aims to provide the feasibility of using crops produced in the state of North Dakota for high-value and high-profit polymer materials for the adhesives industry. Using soybean oil for making new materials can add more value to the crop, thereby making it more profitable for farmers. Thus, the ability to produce highly soy-based polymer adhesives from soybean oil from crops grown in the state of North Dakota strengthens the developed technology. Obtained results are expected to benefit North Dakota soybean farmers because the deliverables will diversify soy-based products with increased demand for soybean oil. There will be new highly soy-based PSAs for food packaging and/or medical applications on the market. It will also help the state of North Dakota's economy to involve investors and other soy processing industries.