Iowa State researchers using soybeans to make better asphalt

Apr 2, 2024

Every year, old and worn-out asphalt needs to be torn up and replaced. The process is expensive and can lead to a lot of carbon emissions. But Iowa State researchers discovered a way to use soybean oil to create better, more resilient asphalt. They can even use their innovation to recycle old asphalt and incorporate that into new asphalt. They started a company, Soylei, and headquartered it in the Iowa State University Research Park. Now they hope to continue to increase the amount of recycled material used in asphalt, reducing carbon emissions and increasing the life of the asphalt.