Willingness to Pay for Enhanced Mandatory Labelling of Genetically Modified Soybean Oil: Evidence from a Choice Experiment in China

This study investigates consumers’ preferences for mandatory labelling conveying the health and safety attributes of genetically modified soybean oil. The enhanced mandatory labelling includes allergen presence labelling, nutrient and compositional change labelling and traceability codes. The data were collected from a consumer survey in the eastern, central and western regions of China, with a total sample size of 804 respondents. We evaluated consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for enhanced mandatory labelling using a choice experiment approach. The results show that Chinese consumers are most favorable to traceability codes with a WTP of RMB 8.92, followed by allergen presences labelling, with RMB 6.57. Eastern consumers would like to pay a higher premium for the three types of enhanced mandatory labelling information, while central consumers only show a positive preference for traceability codes. The results imply that the efforts and policy strategies for enhanced mandatory labelling will benefit residents. Further studies can be expended to other genetically modified (GM) foods. This study provides information for the agency to improve mandatory GM food labelling management. This paper contributes to the growing body of the GM food literature by explicitly investigating consumer preference and WTP for mandatory labelling conveying the health and safety attributes of the GM foods.

Plasticization Effect of Bio-Based Plasticizers from Soybean Oil for Tire Tread Rubber

Modified soybean oil (MSO) is synthesized from soybean oil (SO) and sulfur, aiming to reduce the double bond quantity of SO and avoid harmful effects on the crosslink density and mechanical properties of rubber. MSO modified with different weight percentages of sulfur is then used to plasticize tire tread rubber (TR). It is found that the crosslink density and modulus of MSO- plasticized rubber are significantly improved compared with that of SO-plasticized TR. MSO modified with 6 wt % sulfur (MSO-6%) exhibits the best plasticization effect on TR, thus, the plasticization effect of MSO-6% on TR was further studied by adjusting its additive content. Thereafter, the Mooney viscosity, Payne effect, mechanical property of different amount of MSO-6% plasticized TR are studied to investigate their plasticization effect. At the same additive content of plasticizer, the plasticization effect of MSO-6% and a commonly used aromatic hydrocarbon plasticizer (AO) is compared to determine the potential application of MSO on tire tread rubber. It is found MSO shows similar plasticization effect on TR compared with AO. More important, the aging resistance property and wear resistance property of MSO-6% plasticized rubber are better than those of AO-plasticized rubber. Therefore, MSO-6% is a promising bio-based plasticizer for tire tread rubber.

Modified Soybean Oil as a Processing Oil for Styrene-Butadiene Rubber Tire Tread Compounds

ABSTRACT Soybean oil (SBO) was modified with polystyrene via a radical graft polymerization reaction for use as a processing oil in tire tread compounds. Poly(styrene-butadiene)/polybutadiene rubber compounds with silica and carbon black, containing different processing oils including naphthenic oil (NO), aromatic oil (AO), SBO, and polystyrene-modified SBO (SBO-PS), were formulated, vulcanized, and tested. The curing behavior, mechanical properties, and dynamic properties were investigated. The cure test results showed that all SBO-based rubbers had a shorter scorch time and cure window than the NO- and AO-based rubbers. The tensile tests demonstrated that partial and complete replacement of NO with SBO led to reduced tensile modulus but increased elongation of rubber. For the rubbers compounded with SBO-PS and with a 50/50 mixture of NO/SBO-PS, tensile strength and elongation were higher than for the NO-based rubber. The same tendency was observed when SBO-PS–based rubbers were compared with SBO- and AO-based rubbers. SBO-PS–based rubbers demonstrated better tensile properties than AO-based rubbers and far better properties than SBO-based rubbers. In the tear resistance test and durometer hardness test, SBO-PS contained rubbers that showed similar properties to NO-containing rubber. The dynamic mechanical analysis of SBO-PS–containing rubbers demonstrated that use of this compound in tire treads is expected to improve both rolling resistance and wet traction when compared with an AO-based rubber. The modification of SBO with grafted PS is a promising method of making processing oil, which can replace petroleum-based processing oils with bio-based renewable oils in tire tread compounds while improving their properties.

Effect of boron-nitrogen modified soybean oil additive on biodegradability, anti-oxidation property, and lubricity of rapeseed oil

Two novel boron-nitrogen modified soybean oil additives with different length of chain structures (abbreviated as BNS1 and BNS2) were synthesized. The thermal stability of BNS1 and BNS2 was evaluated by thermo-gravimetric analysis. The effect of the as-synthesized additives on the biodegradability, anti-oxidation property, and lubricity in rapeseed oil was evaluated by respective standard method. Moreover, the morphology and tribochemical characteristics of the worn surfaces were examined by scanning electron microscope assembled with energy dispersive spectrometer. The results indicated that BNS1 and BNS2 both possess good thermal stability; BNS1 slightly impairs the biodegradability of rapeseed oil, but BNS2 facilitates the biodegradability of rapeseed oil. BNS1 and BNS2 could improve the anti-wear and friction-reducing performance of the rapeseed oil, but BNS1 exhibited better anti-wear ability as compared to that of BNS2, BNS2 exhibited better anti-wear ability in reducing friction coefficients as compared to that of BNS1. The enhanced anti-wear and friction-reducing abilities of rapeseed oil were ascribed to the formation of a composite boundary lubrication film due to the strong adsorption of BNS1 or BNS2 and rapeseed oil onto the lubricated surfaces and their tribochemical reactions with metal surfaces. BNS1 and BNS2 could both facilitate the anti-oxidation properties of the rapeseed oil.

RECENT DEVELOPMENT IN APPLICATION OF BIO-BASED OILS IN ELASTOMERS

ABSTRACT Bio-based oil is an emerging oil source to replace petroleum oil products in elastomers as a plasticizer. It is renewable, low cost, and has many advantages over conventional petroleum plasticizers. Bio-based oil usually contains multiple functional groups and can be treated, modified, or polymerized for different applications. In this article, a brief overview of bio-based oil and such replacement is provided. An example of modified soybean oil used in carbon black–filled SBR compounds is discussed to show the change brought about by the use of bio-based oils.