Guelph grad students create insulation using soy hulls

Soy hulls are natural shields for soybean seeds, so it seemed only natural to Ehsan Behazin and Michael Snowdon that they could be use to protect other things as well.

Like, say, your house or apartment building.

The two graduate students at the University of Guelph developed InSOYlator, an insulation made of soy hulls.

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The hulls "possess intrinsic thermal insulation properties that are overlooked and not currently used," Behazin said in an email to CBC News describing their product.

The insulation panels are made by fusing hull particles into the surface of a wall or floor boards. The panels are flame retardant and durable, he said.

The panel would be an alternative solution to fire-retardant paints, coatings or additional insulation layers normally used when meeting specific building codes.

"Along with the insulation benefits, there is the advantage of fire retardant characteristics that the soy hulls provide," Behazin said.

"Due to the mineral and high ash content, the InSOYlation layer chars and self-extinguishes upon contact with flame, unlike conventional plywood or oriented strand boards that catch fire and will burn."

When it comes to the cost, "the InSOYlation panels would be competitively priced at the level of current sheathing panels in the market, due to the low cost of soy hulls compared to lumber," Behazin said.

Behazin and Snowdon are working to further develop their prototype. They recently won an on-campus competition called Project Soy in the graduate category. A cider made from soy won the undergraduate category while a cannabis-infused hot chocolate won the diploma category.