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MN Corn-funded start-up is a Consider Corn Challenge winner

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Above: Låkril Technologies President and Co-Founder Chris Nicholas accepts a Consider Corn Challenge award from Sarah McKay, director of market development for the National Corn Growers Association.

Minnesota’s corn organizations are excited about yesterday’s announcement that Låkril Technologies is a winner of the third Consider Corn Challenge. The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA)-run contest is open to proposals that use field corn in innovative ways, with the goal of creating new products with significant market demand.

Låkril, a University of Minnesota-based start-up, is supported in part by Minnesota Corn. It has developed a cost-effective method of producing acrylic acid and acrylates, chemicals widely used in the manufacturing of paints, coatings, textiles and more, out of renewable feedstocks like corn. Specifically, Låkril has developed a solid acid over which lactic acid — which is produced commercially from fermented corn sugar — converts into acrylic acid.

Currently, acrylic acid is derived from petroleum sources. Carbon dioxide emitted during the process of creating acrylic acid could be reduced by at least 35% by instead using a renewable feedstock, such as corn.

Additionally, using a corn feedstock to produce acrylic acid could increase corn demand by tens of millions of bushels annually, providing a boost to Minnesota farmers and rural communities.

“Minnesota Corn is proud to partner with Låkril on their efforts to expand market opportunities for corn-derived sugars and ethanol and contribute to the increased sustainability of many paints, coatings, adhesives and other polymers,” said Brandon Fast, chairman of the Minnesota Corn Research & Promotion Council (MCR&PC).

“We’re excited that NCGA has recognized Låkril’s potential, and look forward to seeing the results of their work,” he added.

Låkril Technologies President and Co-Founder Chris Nicholas said the company is excited about the prospect of bringing a sustainable supply of acrylic acids and acrylates to market. “Because acrylics are petrochemicals today, there’s a need for a drop-in bio-based alternative to this technology,” Nicholas said recently on the Minnesota Corn Podcast. “We think we have the highest-yielding bio-based acrylics catalyst now.”

In addition to Låkril, Minnesota Corn funds a variety of projects that aim to foster new uses for corn. Others include an effort by ClearFlame Engine Technologies to develop an ethanol-powered engine that can be used in long-haul trucking; a Center for Sustainable Polymers project to replace petroleum as the raw material from which plastics are made with renewable sources like corn; and a University of Minnesota project to create a system in which an ethanol-powered internal combustion engine would charge an in-use electric vehicle.

[Read more: Spotlight on research: Corn farmers investing in innovation]

Låkril is one of six winners of this year’s Consider Corn Challenge, the results of which were announced Thursday at the Advanced Biofuels Leadership Conference in San Francisco. A $150,000 prize will be split equally between the winners.

“This contest allows us to be more innovative in meeting the needs of our customers, who want more sustainable, biobased products,” said NCGA Market Development Action Team (MDAT) Chair and Iowa farmer Bob Hemesath. “Farmers have made great strides over the years to utilize the technology that allows them to grow more on less land using fewer resources per bushel. There is enough corn grown to be able to meet the needs for food, feed, fuel and new uses.”

More about the Consider Corn Challenge and this year’s winners can be found at ncga.com. More information about Låkril is at lakril.com.

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