Let me tell you just 'one word: 'plastics''.

• Position: Polyurethane made from plant oils - Your Life - Brief article

A new way to use plant oils like olive and linseed oil to create polyurethane--a plastic material used in everything from foam insulation panels to tires, hoses, and sealants --has been developed by researchers from Washington State University, Pullman, led by Michael Kessler, director and professor in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering,

Polyurethane is extremely tough and corrosion- and wear-resistant, but researchers would like a more environmentally friendly alternative to the petroleum-based product. About 19,000,000 tons of polyurethane are produced each year.

While there already are some polyurethanes made from plant materials, Kessler's research group developed a method that uses vegetable oils to create materials with a wide variety of flexibility, stiffness, and shapes. Plant oils are inexpensive, readily available, renewable, and can be genetically engineered. In the study, the researchers made polyurethane using olive, canola, grape seed, linseed, and castor oils--without the use of petroleum-based solvents or a...