Bacteria discovered in North Carolina offer new possibilities for biofuels and environmentally sound farming. The bacteria are large; a specimen discovered at a Raleigh sewage plant is four to five times the size of typical soil bacteria. The other bacteria were found in ponds, streams, soil and salt marshes. In recent years, bacteria have taken on new significance. For example, until 1980, science said molybdenum was essential for nitrogen fixation—a process that boosts soil nitrogen levels and improves crop fertility. Then an ARS researcher found that a bacterium, Azotobacter vinelandii, can fix nitrogen without molybdenum. The newly discovered North Carolina bacteria also can fix nitrogen without molybdenum. And they release hydrogen that could be collected and harnessed as biofuel. Chemical analysis of the new microbes shows they are unlike any other previously recorded. Researchers are now working to give them a genus and species designation. Studying the biochemical mechanisms within the bacteria could lead to more economical and environmentally friendly ways to produce nitrogen fertilizer.
Soybean and Nitrogen Fixation Lab, Raleigh, NC
Paul Bishop, (919) 515-3770, PEB@mbio.ncsu.edu

Sunflower-oil-derived lubricants may be churning inside automobile crankcases of the future. Scientists have made compounds called estolides from oleic acids found in sunflower oil. Estolides are unique fatty acids that researchers made by chemically altering the oleic oils. The estolides can be used as a base in lubricants like hydraulic fluids. Although these fluids are classified as lubricants, their primary purpose is to transfer pressure in machinery to activate motion, not to lubricate mechanical systems. The use of sunflower-derived estolides has allowed researchers to develop the first biodegradable hydraulic fluid targeted for commercial use. Estolides also have applications in textiles, detergents, personal care products and pharmaceutical products. Estolides of the future may be made from high-oleic-acid soybeans.
National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Peoria, IL
Tom Abbott, (309) 681-6306, abbottp@mail.ncaur.usda.gov

A new type of instantly soluble cornstarch could replace petroleum-based additives in industrial processes. Many industrial additives are made from nonrenewable sources—some toxic to humans. ARS scientists have now developed a substitute from cornstarch, a renewable source that's less expensive and less hazardous to workers. Industry has used oxidized cornstarch for many years, but most types are not water soluble. To create highly water-soluble cornstarch, scientists mixed it with hydrogen peroxide and then dried it at high temperatures with a copper-iron catalyst. This process removes hydrogen, making the starch water soluble. This oxidized starch, mixed into compounds like cement, absorbs excess water created by chemical reactions that occur when concrete is blended with water and other chemicals. It replaces more hazardous chemicals like cyanide-based drying products used in cement. Other possible uses for the new oxidized cornstarch include binding calcium, magnesium and iron in repulping wood fibers for paper; replacement of formaldehyde in adhesives; and coating crop seeds.
Plant Polymer Research Laboratory, Peoria, IL
Robert E. Wing, (309) 681-6353, wingre@mail.ncaur.usda.gov

New markets for soybeans, canola and meadowfoam could spring up more quickly in the future. That's because of a new ARS test and protocol that will help speed development of industrial lubricants from vegetable oils. More than 10 percent of hydraulic fluids and other industrial lubricants now made from synthetic and petroleum-derived oils could be replaced with vegetable-derived products. Current lab tests require at least a gallon of fluid and can take 5 weeks. The new test takes one week and uses only two ounces of fluid to check hot and cold temperature performance, friction, corrosiveness, flammability and other characteristics. From a check of 50 vegetable-derived base oils, the researchers selected three that perform as well as petroleum-made lubricants. The research was done under a cooperative research and development agreement with Caterpillar Tractor Company, Peoria, IL.
National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Peoria, IL
Sevim Erhan, (309) 681-6531, erhansz@ncaur.mail.usda.gov

Last Updated: November 13, 1998
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