COLUMBUS, OH - Herman Benecke, a scientist for Battelle, has been chosen to receive the 2010 Industrial Uses of Soybean Oil Award by the American Oil Chemists' Society.

 

Benecke, who specializes in the conversion of soybean oil and meal for various industrial products, will be given the award May 17, 2010, at the society's annual meeting in Phoenix, AZ. The award is presented by the society's Industrial Oil Products Division and is sponsored by the United Soybean Board.

 

Since coming to Battelle in 1980, Benecke has been awarded 14 patents, many of which deal with the use of soybean and other vegetable oils to formulate products varying from flexible and rigid foams to more environmentally friendly and healthier plasticizers.

 

Benecke, a research leader in advanced materials applications, continues to improve the synthesis of biobased polyols used to prepare flexible and rigid foams. He also currently directs Battelle's research programs to develop soybean-oil-based lubricants and hydraulic fluids and to use soybean meal to manufacture hydrogels.