Soy Use Spotlight: Ford Using Soy Foam in Seat Cushions

Since 2007, Ford has been experimenting with formulations of soy foam as a replacement for petroleum based foam. Ford Motor Company is currently using a formulation of 40% soy foam in several of their most popular models, including the F-150, Expedition, Escape, and Focus.

Ford expects the use of soy to reduce petroleum usage by 1 million pounds and carbon emissions by 5 million pounds annually. Soy foam results in only 1/4 of the environmental impact as petroleum based foams. The company is also looking at other applications for soy, including soy flour and soy meal in floor mats and door seals, as well as soy based headliner padding.

Ford estimates that it may be able to use up to 844 million bushels of soybeans in it's product line annually.

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Ford has a long history of utilizing soybeans, dating all the way back to the model T, with each vehicle containing a bushel of soybeans as paint and plastic. Henry Ford's soybean car can be found here.

www.thehenryford.org

http://www.eponline.com/Articles/2009/07/30/Ford-Wins-another-Award-for-Soybased-Foam-for-Seats.aspx
http://green.autoblog.com/2007/12/17/ford-licensing-its-soy-foam-seat-technology/