article thumbnail

Iowa study suggests miscanthus would yield more biomass in Iowa soil than originally thought

Green Car Congress

Miscanthus, a perennial grass with vast potential to produce biomass, would deliver even better yields than once thought in Iowa, according to research by agronomists at Iowa State University. The paper found that the miscanthus hybrid had low mortality rates when faced with harsh Iowa winters. Nicholas N. Boersma, Emily A.

Iowa 246
article thumbnail

Iowa State team develops hybrid technology to create biorenewable nylon

Green Car Congress

Engineers at Iowa State University have developed a hybrid process that combines bio- and electrocatalysis to convert glucose into bio-based unsaturated nylon-6,6—which has the advantage of an extra double bond in its backbone that can be used to tailor the polymer’s properties. Resources. Their study is published in the 12 Feb.

Iowa 150
article thumbnail

Ames Lab, Iowa State team develops more efficient catalytic material for fuel cell applications

Green Car Congress

The surface-to-volume ratio is important in getting the most out of an intermetallic nanoparticle, said corresponding author Wenyu Huang, Ames Laboratory scientist and assistant professor of Chemistry at Iowa State University. “ The smaller the particle, the more surface there is, and more surface area increases the catalytic activity.”.

Iowa 150
article thumbnail

Gevo closes $68M Green Bond to finance RNG project

Green Car Congress

has closed a $68,155,000 “Green Bond” private activity bonds offering to finance the construction of its renewable natural gas (RNG) project in Northwest Iowa. The feedstock for the RNG Project will be supplied by three dairy farms located in Northwest Iowa totaling more than 20,000 milking cows.

Financing 334
article thumbnail

Iowa State/Ames Lab researcher receives $3M from ARPA-E for solid-state sodium battery

Green Car Congress

When we look at ways to efficiently store energy from wind and solar sources, lithium-based batteries are expensive and world-wide geological resources of lithium are actually quite limited. A sodium-based battery, on the other hand, has the potential to store larger amounts of electrical energy at a significantly lower cost.

Sodium 150
article thumbnail

EPA approves Flint Hills Resources for cellulosic ethanol from Edeniq’s Pathway technology

Green Car Congress

announced that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved Flint Hills Resources’ registration of its 120-million gallon per year Shell Rock, Iowa ethanol plant for cellulosic ethanol production using Edeniq’s Pathway Technology. Edeniq, Inc. Earlier post.).

EPA 150
article thumbnail

Beneficial Electrification League launches rural electric school bus initiative

Green Car Congress

The aim of this program is straightforward: no school district or utility should miss out on that opportunity simply because they lack access to information or resources to participate in this valuable federal program. Northwest Iowa Power Corporation (representing 7 electric cooperatives). Trico Electric Cooperative, Inc.