Donald E. Cregger - Norfolk Southern Railway Soy Beans Improve Track Lubrication Efficiency
Grease is used to lubricate the rails in curves to control rail and wheel wear associated with passing trains. Trackside lubrication equipment, actuated by train wheels, pump the grease to applicator bars fastened to the rails. The grease is transferred to the flanges of passing wheels and is applied to the gauge face of the rail when flange contact occurs.
Track lubrication grease has traditionally been petroleum-based. However, an environmentally friendly, soybean oil-based grease has recently been developed. This product, called SoyTrak, is manufactured by Environmental Lubricants Manufacturing (ELM) and was developed via the cooperative efforts of Ag-Based Industrial Lubricants (a research group of University of Northern Iowa), Portec Rail Products, Inc and Norfolk Southern. This grease is at least equal to petroleum greases with respect to track lubrication performance, and it is superior to the petroleum greases with respect to some physical performance and environmental characteristics. The most notable efficiency improvement concerns the rapid decomposition of the SoyTrak product after it has served its purpose in lubricating the gauge face of the rail. The residuals decompose in a matter of weeks unlike petroleum greases that do not readily decompose, but continue to build-up within the track structure. This accumulation of wasted grease becomes significant considering that some railroads purchase more than a million pounds of grease annually. The soy grease also has a lower coefficient of friction as compared with petroleum grease, and it is more durable at higher temperatures. These characteristics produce greater performance efficiencies in terms of increased durability and decreased coefficient of friction in the high pressure and temperature environment of wheel to rail contact. Lower friction translates into reduced curve resistance and greater energy efficiency.
REPRINTED WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR, JIM LANE
Here are some notes on the selections for the Hottest 50 Companies in Bioenergy.
The qualifying criteria was making at least one appearance in the Digest over the past 12 months, or a nomination from the readership. About 500 companies qualified via the first route, from the 3,000 stories published this year, and about 20 additional companies were nominated by readers.
The most important measure was the quality of the intellectual property owned or developed by the company. The more unique, the more compelling, and more talked-about, the better. Companies that hid their IP in the cellar (nothing wrong with that - Coke has done it for years), had a tougher time getting into the rankings or getting a high position.
The second most important measure was the due diligence done on the company by public and private investors. A dollar invested in a company is a powerful form of voting one’s belief in the business model, the management, and the IP. Especially if those dollars are personal dollars. So investments by VC - especially those who are known to do very good due diligence, were valued highly. Corporate dollars too, although they don;t always represent a personal investment. Even public dollars are of immense value - all the four original recipients of DOE dollars for cellulosic demonstration-scale plants (well, originally there were six, but two dropped out) are highly ranked this year.
The third measure was measurable progress towards commercialization - although companies are at different stages in their evolution. Early-stage companies were measured against typical early-stage milestones, while later-stage companies had more overtly commercial benchmarks such as revenues and growth rates.
Some note on companies.
For Coskata, the march towards the first 100 Mgy cellulosic ethanol plant was a key factor. The $1 per gallon target for fuel production is a “hot” target for sure. Investments by GM and Khosla Ventures are a factor. Vinod’s group has thought through the space very intelligently, and GM doesn’t have cash to burn on follish exercises, so their investment speaks some volumes.
For Sapphire, the Continental Airlines test was a major factor, especially in the algae space where it is sometimes hard to find actual producers of material amounts of fuel. The Cascadia Investments and Venrock participation in the company were also key. Cascadia has been burned in the biofuels space before, with their investment in Pacific Ethanol. SO coming back in for a second dip says a lot.
For Virent, a “hot” technology that produces a “green gasoline” that is a drop-in replacement for current fuels is a compelling set of IP. The World Economic Forum’s Technology Pioneer Award to Virent this year was a factor.
POET is a first-generation biofuels company that think like a next-gen company. A pilot scale cellulosic plant ready to go. A demonstration scale project in the build process. A unique corn processing technology that gets a higher yield than competitors. Not to mention that POET is out in front on lobbying and consumer education.
Range Fuels is likely to complete the first demonstration-scale cellulosic ethanol plant, larger in capacity than KL Energy’s current plant and thereby for a while the largest active plant in the world. That’s reason to pay attention right there. Add in a unique gasification technology that uses wood waste from the forest-rich US Southeast.
Solazyme has been getting it done all year. A unique fermentation approach to algae production - growing algae in the dark and feeding it sugar. That’s a compelling idea - and steps around problems of scale that have been experienced with photo bioreactors. Add in real progress towards making and distributing fuel - they have their own brand and provided fuel for a demo algae car at Sundance when “FUEL, the film” was making its celebrated debut.
Amyris is another company with a drop-in fuel solution - that’s compelling. But also, a remarkable bug-based approach that uses sugar cane as a feedstock. The company produces a renewable diesel, and thereby targets a market that is holding up much better on price than the gasoline or ethanol markets.
UOP has been making algae biodiesel for most of the airline tests that are using it, as well as jatropha biodiesel. A company that is wired in with fuel customers and can make fuels seamlessly from a variety of hot feedstocks is hot itself, indeed.
Mascoma has been making terrific progress towards cellulosic ethanol with a small-scale plant in development in upstate New York. They pulled out of the Tennessee biofuels project because they had outgrown the scope of the heavily-subsidized project. That’s a sign of real confidence.
DuPont Danisco slipped into Mascoma’s position with the University of Tennessee project, and is well advanced in its plans for cellulosic ethanol. A combination of two giants compels attention, for sure.
Overall, the top ten has the right combination of IP, allies, dollars and progress that set them apart not only from the other 40 distinguished honorees, but also from the 1,000+ companies who did not make the rankings this time around.
This is a great article on the use of spent coffe grounds as a biofuel!
America’s Addiction Fuels Desire For Coffee Ground Biodiesel
An interesting mix for those who want to get involved:
http://www.ecogreensites.com/index.html
A green directory full of great and timely information and companies
http://www.vivagreen.com/channels/cleaning-supplies
The Biosoy Announcement!
http://www.cns.uni.edu/CONNECTIONS/FALL97/page1.html
The National Parks Service has got their green act together:
http://www.nps.gov/piro/parkmgmt/biosoy.htm
Chicago is using hybrid busses!
http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2008/12/cta-rolls-out-hybrid-buses.html
Tags: green sites
Soy-Based Metalworking
Fluids Deliver
Outstanding Performance
The metalworking fluids market, valued at approximately $7.5 million, is acknowledging the growing concern of worker exposure by offering safer, less-toxic products.
One alternative to petroleum-based lubricants is soy-based products. The United Soybean Board (USB), composed of 62 U.S. soybean farmers, oversees soybean check-off funded investments in foreign market development, human and animal health and nutrition, research and development of new uses, and agronomic research in soybeans.
Midwest Biologicals, Inc. (Woodburn, IN) has developed a soy-based metal-removal fluid (MRF), called VitaEdge™, that offers increased safety and outstanding performance. When compared to standard petroleum-based fluids, VitaEdge performed as well as or better when machining steel and aluminum for the functions of any standard MRF: cooling and lubricating the cutting surface as it removes small metal chips; and, allowing faster, more accurate machining to be done. Because soy is a primary ingredient in VitaEdge, it offers biodegradability, nontoxicity, low volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emissions, a high flash point, and (perhaps, most noticeably) no offensive odor.
Another company, Pantera, Inc. (Torrington, CT) is creating an entire line of soy-based lubricants for the metalworking industry. Pantera’s products offer biodegradability, extended tool life, easy disposability, and soap-and-water cleanup. Pantera has estimated that more than 97 million gallons of lubricants are used each year. However, by providing higher-performing, easy-to-clean products, the company has proven that Pantera Oil takes less than half the volume of existing lubricant to operate the same metalworking machine at the same speed.
Soy oil offers excellent lubricity and high performance, and provides a safer alternative to petroleum. Using a soy-based product also helps to lower the costs associated with environmental compliance, including disposal costs.
Logical Choice for Biodegradable Industrial Lubricants
Many industries rely on lubricants to perform at a high level day after day. Worker safety and environmental health may not always be at the top of list of concerns of management. The USB has focused on developing soy-based lubricants that not only offer a nontoxic and biodegradable formulation, but perform as well as or better than their petroleum counterparts. Synthetic oils offer another alternative to petroleum-based lubricants. However, synthetic oils are more expensive than soybean oil and fail to offer much of a performance advantage over soy-based lubricants.
These soy-based lubricants offer exceptional lubricity, providing up to 25% less friction when compared to petroleum-based lubricants. Soy engine oils lower oil consumption, reduce exhaust emissions, and reduce engine wear by 66%. When compared to petroleum oil, soybean oil offers high viscosity index, low evaporation loss, and low volatility. The benefits of soy-based lubricants extend beyond performance into safety, too.
Soy-based lubricants are nontoxic to humans, wildlife, and aquatic animals. They are also biodegradable, eliminating the risk of soil and water contamination from accidental spills. These lubricants provide a 37% reduction in unburned hydrocarbons and a 50% reduction in carbon monoxide, contributing to cleaner air requirements set in place by government regulations. With these regulations increasingly determining which types of chemicals are used when exposed to the environment, soybean-based lubricants are continuing to gain market share. Ultimately, if biodegradable oils are required as lubricants, the availability of soy, coupled with its price advantage over other vegetable oils, will make it a logical choice.
Environmentally Friendly Hydraulic Fluids
Several companies are manufacturing soy-based hydraulic fluids. Two in particular that have worked with USB are Terresolve Technologies (Eastlake, OH) and Renewable Lubricants, Inc. (Hartville, OH). Both companies have committed to the development of environmentally responsible products that can replace traditional petroleum-based hydraulic fluids.
Terresolve has developed three lines of hydraulic fluids made from soybean oil. All are readily biodegradable and nonhazardous, which makes them particularly useful in applications where leakage or spillage causes environmental damage. This helps decrease the costs of insurance and reduces the disposal fees commonly associated with petroleum-based hydraulic fluids. Terresolve’s products can be used in any conventional hydraulic system, with no changes or additions required.
The Terresolve product line of hydraulic fluids also meets and/or exceeds the following criteria: Canadian Environmental Choice Program Parameters, European DIN 51524 Part II, Proposed ASTM standard for HM hydraulic fluids, and Denison HF-O.
Renewable Lubricants also has developed three lines of hydraulic fluids. Its Bio-Hydraulic Oil line is readily biodegradable and is formulated to perform in hydraulic systems that require anti-wear, -rust, and -oxidation properties. The Renew-Hydraulic Fluid line combines vegetable-base oil and renewable re-refined mineral-base oil to improve the performance of both while offering exceptional performance at a competitive cost.
Renewable Lubricants has patented their antioxidant/anti-wear technology as Stabilized™ High Oleic Base Stocks (HOBS). This technology boosts the viscosity index of crop oils to synthetic levels. It also improves the thermal shear stability of the formula and increases load capacity. Renewable Lubricants, Inc.’s formulations are designed to meet OEM specifications.
Soy-Based Industrial Products Are Greener, Too
For years, the chemical industry has relied on petroleum as an ingredient in thousands of products. Numerous industrial product manufacturers use petroleum or petroleum-derived substances in their formulations. However, environmental regulations increase the cost of refining crude oil into fuel and intermediate chemicals, while making bulk chemical production in the United States more expensive. Using petroleum in chemical products and applications heightens our dependence on foreign markets. It also creates a hazard to our environment and human health.
The use of renewable agri-based feedstock provides an environmentally safe alternative to using petroleum. In less than 10 years, the USB has determined that soybean oil is a suitable replacement for petroleum in adhesives, coatings and inks, lubricants, plastics, and solvents. In recent years, the USB has helped fund products that offer a replacement to, or an additive for, petroleum-based products in these markets. These soy-based products offer comparable performance, economics, and environmental safety to manufacturers and end-users.
While the lubricants industry uses a lot of petroleum, one particular example of a successful, environmentally safe, renewable soy application in the lubricants industry is in the total-loss lubricants market. Total-loss lubricants typically find their way into the environment via spillage or leaking. Using a soy-based total-loss lubricant eliminates a toxic chemical leaking into the ground and provides increased biodegradability.
The solvents industry also has seen rapid success with soy-based products. A soy-based gel used to strip paint is nontoxic and safe enough to use with bare hands, and can strip up to five layers of paint or varnish with a single application. An industrial cleaner and degreaser that combines soy and corn byproducts has proven to clean and cut grease better than petroleum-based products, without any offensive odors or harmful chemicals. Its manufacturer has been issued a patent for its innovative formulation. Both products are biodegradable and offer increased safety to consumers and the environment.
Using soybean oil in place of petroleum provides a competitive, environmentally friendlier alternative for manufacturers. The use of soy reduces or eliminates the emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and offensive odors. It significantly increases the biodegradability of a product. It provides a nontoxic alternative that eliminates or reduces hazards to humans, wildlife or vegetation.
Soybean oil also provides good economics. As petroleum and natural gas have tripled in price over the past two years, soybeans have dropped from almost $7 per bushel to less than $5 per bushel. Soybean oil, more specifically, has fallen from over $0.25 per pound to less than $0.17 per pound. Lower regulatory costs and reduced liability add to the long-term economic savings of soy. By using a renewable resource grown in our own backyard, it also lessens our dependence on foreign oil-producing nations. The United Soybean Board
Tags: soy based
