Airable is developing a soy-based conversion coating chemical. Conversion coatings are chemical or electro-chemical treatments applied to a metal surface. The surface of the material will chemically react to form a thin, superficial coating of altered metal. This new coating offers a protective layer for the material, enhances surface hardness, and improves adherence so that other coatings—such as paint—stick to the surface. These conversion coatings can be applied either by spraying the chemicals onto the… Read More

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency recently announced its expansion of double crop insurance opportunities for soybeans in at least 681 counties nationwide, a move that the Ohio Soybean Association (OSA) supports. The new expansion covers virtually all Ohio counties, allowing farmers in the Buckeye State to reduce the economic risk associated with growing two crops on the same land in the same year. OSA met with representatives from RMA in June to… Read More

This week in the lab, Alex Shand has been working on a soy-based corrosion inhibitor. Corrosion inhibitors are used to reduce, slow down, or prevent corrosion of metal substrates. Corrosion is a naturally occurring process of converting a refined metal into a more chemically stable oxide compound. Corrosion inhibitors are able to slow/prevent this process by forming a protective oxide film on the surface of the metal. Using a chemically modified derivative of soybean oil,… Read More

This week in the lab, Airable is working to develop a more environmentally friendly patio surface cleaner. Patio cleaning agents are widely used chemicals (with a U.S. market size of $8.4 billion) that are used to cleanse outdoor stone or concrete of built-up dirt, grime, algae, and mildew. These products come in all shapes and colors, ranging from alkaline and acidic cleaners to bacterial/enzymatic cleaners. Many commercial patio cleaners, however, contain harsh chemicals such as… Read More

This week in the lab, Airable received an ultrasonic homogenizer from U.S Solid. Ultrasonic homogenizers, or sonicators, are instruments used to dissolve solutes into solvents. Sonicators apply sound energy to agitate particles in a sample. The tool can mix solutions, dissolve solids into liquids, and remove dissolved gas from liquids. The vibration helps speed chemical reactions and break intermolecular bonds, dissolving particles. Sonication can also boost the disruption of oil droplets, creating stable emulsions and… Read More