innovation abilities of creatures that live in the ocean depths and the inner eye system of the Bengal tiger, Featherstone designed an engine system containing light/solar cells that fuel a battery. Nonpetroleum lubricants: According to Featherstone’s calculations there is a potential to eliminate 50 million barrels of oil annually by using alternative sources for lubricants, such as emulsified lard. Featherstone received a patent for this technology in the 1950s, but at that time was not able to remove the odor. Today this is possible, he says. Natural rubber tires: At Ohio State University’s Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) researchers are developing a species of dandelion from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to use as an American-grown source of natural rubber. Additionally, Japan-based Yokohama Tires has developed a technology that blends citrus oil with natural rubber to make tires, elimi-
nating 80 percent of the petroleum. Developers of the Agri-Car project are in the process of assembling a formal entity that will pursue the concept and put everything under one umbrella. At the moment it is “a dispersed set of resources and activities that all contribute,” says Jim Currie, codirector of an Ohio State University program designed to connect research and researchers with public and private applications in the marketplace. Currie and Featherstone continue to work closely on the Agri-Car project. Currie says that there are many research projects going on at universities today that may not be directed specifically at automobiles, but could have applications. For example, the OARDC is currently working with an outside entity to further develop biobased fibers that can replace glass fibers in fiberglass and polymers. These fibers, found in automobile dashboards and most molded and extreated plastics,
give the products strength and prevent them from weakening and falling apart, Currie says. Conversely, biobased products that are being developed for the automobile industry may be used in other products. “You can develop an Agri-Car simply for the sake of the car, but at the same time you can use that to drive the research in planning ahead for much broader applications than just a car,” Currie says. “If it’s useful in developing this type of fiber in automotive parts, then it certainly is useful for say children’s highchairs.”
Hitting the Road Several automobile manufacturers are already offering components derived from renewable sources. Volvo Car Corp. currently uses renewable sources in nearly 100 biobased components, mostly sound absorption blocks or mats made of cotton fibers. In addition, the compa-
Lignol Energy – Sustainable Cellulosic Ethanol
Using cellulosic feedstocks to produce fuel-grade ethanol and biochemicals Lignol Energy Corporation (LEC: TSX.V) is commercializing its unique process technology to develop state-of-the-art biorefineries for the production of fuel-grade ethanol and biochemicals from cellulosic feedstocks. The company’s unique solvent based pre-treatment technology facilitates the rapid, high-yield and cost-effective conversion of cellulose to ethanol and the production of value-added biochemicals.
Lignol is currently in the process of integrating its core technologies on a commercial scale with several major industrial partners. For more information about Lignol Energy Corporation, please go to www.lignol.ca
Cellulosic Ethanol
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