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  • Paving Project Celebrates New Soy-based Asphalt

    From Iowa Soybean Association — Earlier this week, Iowa State University’s BioCentury Research Farm celebrated soy as a major component of a paving project. The celebration was also the culmination of several years of research at Iowa State University (ISU) with a checkoff investment from the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA).

  • Path to Better, Cheaper Asphalt Roads Involves Soybean Oil

    Soon enough we may be driving into work on roads made with soybeans. Thanks to researchers and engineers at Iowa State University, soybean oil was used for the first time in Iowa to create a bio-based polymer that acts as a binding agent, or glue, in asphalt.

  • Iowa leaders celebrate fifth anniversary of Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy at the BCRF

    Gov. Kim Reynolds and Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg, along with a broad cross section of Iowa political, agricultural and community leaders, celebrated the fifth anniversary of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy at the BioCentury Research Farm on May 29. The Strategy is a science and technology-based framework to assess and reduce nutrient loss from both point sources (such as municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants) and nonpoint sources (stormwater runoff from both urban and agricultural landscapes) in Iowa.

  • New projects carried out in the Biochemical Processing Train

    The BioCentury Research Farm (BCRF) recently completed new fermentation and distillation projects in the Biochemical Processing Train. A multi-day fermentation project was carried out for an industry client using the 500- and 1,000-liter fermentors. A pilot-scale distillation was completed utilizing the BCRF's distillation column to obtain whole stillage which was then decanted in the Center for Crops Utilization Research's Wet Processing Pilot Plant. The resulting wet cake was used to produce Distillers Dried Grains (DDG) using the BCRF's pilot-scale steam tube dryer. Another project was completed using the 200-liter fermentor for the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering.

  • What happened? Pyrolysis breakthrough could cut drop-in biofuels cost to $2.58 per gallon

    From Biofuels Digest

    We have a breakthrough in pyrolysis to report today that could reduce the estimated cost of producing fuel from $3.27 per gallon to $2.58 per gallon. And no one quite understands how the new process works — but it works. “What we have achieved is process intensification – multi-fold increases in biomass throughput for a given size reactor – while preserving oil yield,” said Iowa State University’s Robert Brown, the Godfatha of catalytic pyrolysis himself.

  • Unique Partnership Promotes Innovation and Economic Development in Cedar Rapids

    From Our CR (Cedar Rapids seasonal magazine)

    In the latest edition of Our CR, the City of Cedar Rapids gives an overview of the Iowa State University-Cedar Rapids Partnership. This partnership aims to increase cooperation and information exchange between faculty research and the City's agribusiness, food manufacturing and bioprocessing industries.

  • Student Employees and Staff Complete Safety Training at BCRF

    On Jan. 5, the BioCentury Research Farm (BCRF) hosted an Iowa State University safety training day for 16 new student employees and staff as well as current BCRF users. 

  • Students complete capstone projects at BCRF

    This fall the BioCentury Research Farm (BCRF) supported two capstone projects. The student teams were allowed to use space, tools and other equipment needed to complete their projects. Below is a summary of the projects.

    BioCentury Research Farm Greenhouse

    Project Summary: Conduct a system analysis of the BCRF's greenhouse HVAC system to determine the proper cooling load.
    Course: ME 415
    Students: Elli Abel, Lauren Griffin, Sam Slagle and Matt Vest

  • Fermenting the Future

    From Biofuels Journal

    The Fermentation Facility at Iowa State University provides access to fermentation equipment and laboratory staff for the research and development of technologies and products for biofuels, renewable chemicals, and other industrial purposes.

  • All About Autothermal Pyrolysis

    Autothermal pyrolysis with process intensification is the Bioeconomy Institute’s latest breakthrough in thermal deconstruction of biomass into biofuels and biochemicals. BEI is developing the basic technology and is working to demonstrate it on a commercial scale.

  • Ames High School students spend the day at the BCRF

    On Oct. 10, the BioCentury Research Farm (BCRF) hosted 329 students from Ames High School's earth and space science classes. The students learned about different types of biomass crops, how biomass is processed for biofuels and bioproducts, algae production systems, and feremetation and thermochemical processes used to produce biofuels. Michelle Soupir, associate professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering, also gave the students a presentation on water quality and a tour of the bioreactors located south of the BCRF. The Iowa State University Research and Demonstration Farms provided tractors and wagons for transporting the students to different stops on the tour.

  • Iowa State named a partner in new Department of Energy bioenergy research center

    Original article by Annette Hacker, Iowa State University News Service

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