IPRT News, Winter 2008


Winter 2008 Finding New Applications for Soy Wax SoyaWax International, LLC., of Cedar Rapids manufactures soybean wax for use in candles, shipping several million pounds of its SoyaWax product to 25 nations annually. While soy wax is ideal for container candles, the original formulation was unsuitable for making tapers and large pillar candles. So, the company came to Iowa State University and IPRT to help it to develop a “second generation” of the wax to tap into these other candle applications and to open significant new applications in paper-coating and packaging. IPRT Company Assistance's Technology Commercialization Group assisted in an Iowa State research project to produce a new kind of candle wax made from soybeans. Unlike existing soy wax, the new formulation can replace both traditional petroleum paraffin and beeswax-based candles. “I have had a 10-year history of working with various faculty, staff and facilities at ISU,” says Michael Richards, company founder. “IPRT is an exceptional resource for economic development in Iowa.” To help the company, Lynne Mumm, manager of IPRT’s Technology Commercialization Group, set up a study by Toni Wang, a professor in food science and human nutrition. “Lynne has always been very responsive to our needs as a small Iowa business,” Richards says. “She provides great communication to bridge between the academic and business worlds.” Wang and Iowa State’s Center for Crops Utilization Research’s pilot manufacturing plant will continue collaborating with Soyawax on the project. “SoyaWax has great respect for the knowledge, experience and dedication of Dr. Wang,” Richards says. “We have worked with her for eight years and intend to continue our working relationship as we develop Soyawax products further.” The company, which was devastated by the Iowa floods of 2008, is concurrently cleaning up from the disaster and actively working with Iowa State to move the new soy wax formulations from the lab to commercial applications. It recently received a Demonstration Fund grant from the Iowa Department of Economic Development to support scale-up of the manufacturing process. “With the competitive edge that we gain from our alliance with ISU, we are in a position to gain a growing market share in the global wax market,” Richards concludes. “We intend to continue a long-term working relationship with IPRT and ISU.” See also Iowa State University news release IPRT Passe Named CBER Director Ulrike Passe, assistant professor of architecture at Iowa State University, has been named the director of IPRT's Center for Building Energy Research. The center focuses on strategies to reduce energy consumption in buildings using effective building design and efficient and renewable energy sources and technologies. “I am extremely pleased to be able to appoint a person with her vision, energy, and experience to the leadership position of CBER,” says George Kraus, IPRT director. Passe received her Diplom - Ingenieur degree in architecture (equivalent to a M.S.) from the Technical University in Berlin, Germany in 1990. She is a licensed architect in Germany, a member of the Bund Deutscher Architekten and an International Associate of the American Institute of Architects. Her experience includes more than 15 years of professional practice in architecture specializing in energy-efficient buildings and six years teaching and researching in architectural design and building technology at the Technical University in Berlin. Passe is principal investigator and faculty advisor to the ISU Solar Decathlon Team. The goal is to build an entirely solar-powered house on the National Mall in Washington D.C. in fall 2009. The Interlock House project involves interdisciplinary research into energy efficient building envelopes, passive and active solar technologies, passive cooling strategies and natural ventilation, green design and technologies, thermal comfort and bio-composite materials. CBER and IPRT are also sponsors of the team. Passe reports that the team is now completing construction documents and plans to begin construction in spring 2009. IPRT Berge Takes Over Materials Group Paul Berge has been named program manager of IPRT Company Assistance’s Materials Group. He replaces Thomas Lograsso, who was recently appointed assistant director for the Division of Materials Science and Engineering at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory. Rick Lopez joins the materials group as a new metallurgical engineer, moving over from his position with IPRT’s nondestructive evaluation group. “Berge is known throughout Iowa’s manufacturing community for his expertise in materials and his ability to solve industrial problems,” says George Kraus, IPRT Director. “We couldn't have found a better manager for our materials group.” Kraus also thanked Lograsso for his many years of service to IPRT. Berge has been a metallurgist with the materials group for 15 years and has worked on over 900 projects. He has a B.S. in metallurgical engineering and an M.S. in materials science and engineering, both from Iowa State University. Berge is an AWS Certified Welding Inspector and heads the welding program for the Ames Laboratory. He is currently chairman of the Central Iowa Chapter of ASM International. Berge is the 2002 recipient of the Lloyd E. Anderson Superior Service to Industry Award. Lopez has been with IPRT since 2000. He has a B.S. in metallurgical engineering from Iowa State and is working on a master's degree in materials science and engineering. The Materials Group of IPRT Company Assistance provides materials-related technical assistance to Iowa manufacturers. The group handles short-term assistance by conducting company-driven projects that address day-to-day problems they encounter. The program provides a means for companies to access the resources, faculty and staff at Iowa State at no cost to the company. Many projects relate to materials selection, welding and joining, heat treatment, corrosion, and material failures. IPRT IPRT In The News • Robert C. Brown, director of IPRT’s Center for Sustainable Environmental Technologies, delivered this fall's Presidential University Lecture. He discussed, “Why are We Producing Biofuels?” See Iowa State news release • IPRT Company Assistance is spreading the word about its services for Iowa companies through advertisements in the Des Moines Register and the Ames Tribune's Ames Business Quarterly and Ames Business Monthy. The Register ad will appear Nov. 2 and Dec. 7, 2008, and Feb. 22 and Apr. 5, 2009. The Ames ads will appear in the Dec. 31 issue of the quarterly and the May 2009 issue of the monthly publication. • IPRT Company Assistance — and its “IPRT works for Iowa” coffee mug — made an appearance on KCCI-TV’s “Morning Mug Shot.” The feature included a summary of the group and its services for Iowa companies. Watch the video • Iowa State University’s 2009 Solar Decathlon team was recently featured on “Clean Up Your Act,’ a radio show on KCCK-FM. The team is being lead by IPRT’s Center for Building Energy Research. IPRT is also a sponsor of the team. KCCK-FM is located at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Listen to podcasts IPRT	IPRT to Work with Muscatine Company Victor Lin, director of IPRT's Center for Catalysis and George Kraus, IPRT director, will work on a project with a Muscatine, Iowa, company, Grain Processing Corp., to develop a catalytic process that efficiently converts renewable feedstocks into a chemical precursor to a common industrial polymer. The process could reduce industry's reliance on fossil fuels and some hazardous chemicals. The project is one of several funded by the Grow Iowa Values Fund, a state economic development program. See Iowa State news release MRC’s Dalal Named IEEE Fellow Vik Dalal, director of IPRT’s Microelectronics Research Center, has been elected a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, the world’s largest engineering society. He was elected “for contributions to thin-film photovoltaic energy conversion materials and devices.” Only 0.5 percent of IEEE members can be elected fellows. Dalal is also Whitney Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and associate chair of the electrical and computer engineering department at Iowa State University. Meetings & Events President’s Visit Iowa State University President Gregory Geoffroy (left) discusses a research project with Rana Biswas (right), a researcher with IPRT's Microelectronics Research Center. Geoffroy and Executive Vice President and Provost Elizabeth Hoffman met with IPRT in September. The meeting included discussions with IPRT centers and IPRT Company Assistance as well as a poster session featuring IPRT research. Advisory Board IPRT's Industrial Advisory Board held its bi-annual meeting in October. The host center for the meeting was the Center for Nondestructive Evaluation, which held a poster session highlighting its research. Ulrike Passe, the new director of IPRT's Center for Building Energy Research, provided an overview of her background and plans for the center. New board members Bernardo A. Perez, engineering director at Schneider Electric, and David Harpole, Vice President of Energy Supply, Wisconsin Public Service, also attended the meeting. Bio 2008 IPRT Company Assistance and IPRT's Center for Catalysis were represented in the IPRT booth at the 2008 Biobased Industry Outlook Conference. The event was attended by over 700 people representing academia, industry, government and nongovernmental organizations. Venture Capital Conference Brian Muff, technology commercialization associate in IPRT Company Assistance’s Technology Commercialization group, attended and worked the IPRT booth at October's Iowa Venture Capital and Entrepreneur Conference, which is organized by Iowa's Department of Economic Development. Upcoming Events Holiday Party 2008 IPRT and Ames Lab employees, retirees and friends are all welcome to attend the annual Ames Lab/IPRT Holiday Party, Thursday, Dec. 11, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in 301 Spedding. The event features refreshments and a live auction. Attendees are also encouraged to bring warm hats, mittens and non-perishable food donations. (See a shopping list in a PDF format). Auction proceeds and donations will benefit the Bethesda Community Food Pantry. Science Bowls IPRT is a major sponsor of the upcoming Ames Lab/ISU Science Bowls, which aims to excite and challenge the Midwest’s brightest students.The high school edition is Jan. 31, 2009, while the middle school competition is Feb. 20-21, 2009. Volunteers are still needed to act as judges, moderators. scorekeepers and timekeepers. If interested, please contact Breehan Gerleman-Lucchesi, Ames Lab Public Affairs, breehan@ameslab.gov, 294-9750. ETC \| 09 VRAC's Emerging Technologies Conference \| 09 will be held Apr. 2-3, 2009, with keynote speaker Gregory D. Abowd, Distinguished professor of interactive computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The conference also includes technology demonstrations, poster presentations and IgniteIT, an evening of networking and idea sharing. Note that registration is required to attend. News from Ames Laboratory? IPRT employees who are not affiliates of Ames Laboratory have been removed from the mailing list of Ames Lab's Insider newsletter. If you wish to continue receiving Insider, please contact Breehan Gerleman-Lucchesi, Ames Lab Public Affairs, breehan@ameslab.gov, 294-9750.
About IPRT News The Institute for Physical Research and Technology is a network of scientific research centers at Iowa State University. In addition to performing world-class scientific research, IPRT provides technical assistance and contract research services to Iowa companies and offers education programs for students from middle through graduate school. This monthly email newsletter is produced by IPRT Public Affairs for IPRT employees and all interested parties. • To subscribe and contribute news, contact: Robert Mills, IPRT Public Affairs, rmills@iastate.edu, 515-294-1113. • View a Web version here. Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. veteran. Inquiries can be directed to the Director of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, 3210 Beardshear Hall, (515) 294-7612.

Winter 2008

Finding New Applications for Soy Wax

SoyaWax International, LLC., of Cedar Rapids manufactures soybean wax for use in candles, shipping several million pounds of its SoyaWax product to 25 nations annually. While soy wax is ideal for container candles, the original formulation was unsuitable for making tapers and large pillar candles. So, the company came to Iowa State University and IPRT to help it to develop a “second generation” of the wax to tap into these other candle applications and to open significant new applications in paper-coating and packaging.

IPRT Company Assistance's Technology Commercialization Group assisted in an Iowa State research project to produce a new kind of candle wax made from soybeans. Unlike existing soy wax, the new formulation can replace both traditional petroleum paraffin and beeswax-based candles.

“I have had a 10-year history of working with various faculty, staff and facilities at ISU,” says Michael Richards, company founder. “IPRT is an exceptional resource for economic development in Iowa.”

To help the company, Lynne Mumm, manager of IPRT’s Technology Commercialization Group, set up a study by Toni Wang, a professor in food science and human nutrition. “Lynne has always been very responsive to our needs as a small Iowa business,” Richards says. “She provides great communication to bridge between the academic and business worlds.”

Wang and Iowa State’s Center for Crops Utilization Research’s pilot manufacturing plant will continue collaborating with Soyawax on the project. “SoyaWax has great respect for the knowledge, experience and dedication of Dr. Wang,” Richards says. “We have worked with her for eight years and intend to continue our working relationship as we develop Soyawax products further.”

The company, which was devastated by the Iowa floods of 2008, is concurrently cleaning up from the disaster and actively working with Iowa State to move the new soy wax formulations from the lab to commercial applications. It recently received a Demonstration Fund grant from the Iowa Department of Economic Development to support scale-up of the manufacturing process. “With the competitive edge that we gain from our alliance with ISU, we are in a position to gain a growing market share in the global wax market,” Richards concludes. “We intend to continue a long-term working relationship with IPRT and ISU.” See also Iowa State University news release IPRT

Passe Named CBER Director

Ulrike Passe, assistant professor of architecture at Iowa State University, has been named the director of IPRT's Center for Building Energy Research. The center focuses on strategies to reduce energy consumption in buildings using effective building design and efficient and renewable energy sources and technologies.

“I am extremely pleased to be able to appoint a person with her vision, energy, and experience to the leadership position of CBER,” says George Kraus, IPRT director.

Passe received her Diplom - Ingenieur degree in architecture (equivalent to a M.S.) from the Technical University in Berlin, Germany in 1990. She is a licensed architect in Germany, a member of the Bund Deutscher Architekten and an International Associate of the American Institute of Architects. Her experience includes more than 15 years of professional practice in architecture specializing in energy-efficient buildings and six years teaching and researching in architectural design and building technology at the Technical University in Berlin.

Passe is principal investigator and faculty advisor to the ISU Solar Decathlon Team.
The goal is to build an entirely solar-powered house on the National Mall in Washington D.C. in fall 2009. The Interlock House project involves interdisciplinary research into energy efficient building envelopes, passive and active solar technologies, passive cooling strategies and natural ventilation, green design and technologies, thermal comfort and bio-composite materials. CBER and IPRT are also sponsors of the team. Passe reports that the team is now completing construction documents and plans to begin construction in spring 2009. IPRT

Berge Takes Over Materials Group

Paul Berge has been named program manager of IPRT Company Assistance’s Materials Group. He replaces Thomas Lograsso, who was recently appointed assistant director for the Division of Materials Science and Engineering at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory. Rick Lopez joins the materials group as a new metallurgical engineer, moving over from his position with IPRT’s nondestructive evaluation group.

“Berge is known throughout Iowa’s manufacturing community for his expertise in materials and his ability to solve industrial problems,” says George Kraus, IPRT Director. “We couldn't have found a better manager for our materials group.” Kraus also thanked Lograsso for his many years of service to IPRT.

Berge has been a metallurgist with the materials group for 15 years and has worked on over 900 projects. He has a B.S. in metallurgical engineering and an M.S. in materials science and engineering, both from Iowa State University. Berge is an AWS Certified Welding Inspector and heads the welding program for the Ames Laboratory. He is currently chairman of the Central Iowa Chapter of ASM International. Berge is the 2002 recipient of the Lloyd E. Anderson Superior Service to Industry Award.

Lopez has been with IPRT since 2000. He has a B.S. in metallurgical engineering from Iowa State and is working on a master's degree in materials science and engineering.

The Materials Group of IPRT Company Assistance provides materials-related technical assistance to Iowa manufacturers. The group handles short-term assistance by conducting company-driven projects that address day-to-day problems they encounter. The program provides a means for companies to access the resources, faculty and staff at Iowa State at no cost to the company. Many projects relate to materials selection, welding and joining, heat treatment, corrosion, and material failures. IPRT

IPRT In The News

• Robert C. Brown, director of IPRT’s Center for Sustainable Environmental Technologies, delivered this fall's Presidential University Lecture. He discussed, “Why are We Producing Biofuels?” See Iowa State news release

• IPRT Company Assistance is spreading the word about its services for Iowa companies through advertisements in the Des Moines Register and the Ames Tribune's Ames Business Quarterly and Ames Business Monthy. The Register ad will appear Nov. 2 and Dec. 7, 2008, and Feb. 22 and Apr. 5, 2009. The Ames ads will appear in the Dec. 31 issue of the quarterly and the May 2009 issue of the monthly publication.

• IPRT Company Assistance — and its “IPRT works for Iowa” coffee mug — made an appearance on KCCI-TV’s “Morning Mug Shot.” The feature included a summary of the group and its services for Iowa companies. Watch the video

• Iowa State University’s 2009 Solar Decathlon team was recently featured on “Clean Up Your Act,’ a radio show on KCCK-FM. The team is being lead by IPRT’s Center for Building Energy Research. IPRT is also a sponsor of the team. KCCK-FM is located at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Listen to podcasts IPRT

IPRT to Work with Muscatine Company

Victor Lin, director of IPRT's Center for Catalysis and George Kraus, IPRT director, will work on a project with a Muscatine, Iowa, company, Grain Processing Corp., to develop a catalytic process that efficiently converts renewable feedstocks into a chemical precursor to a common industrial polymer. The process could reduce industry's reliance on fossil fuels and some hazardous chemicals. The project is one of several funded by the Grow Iowa Values Fund, a state economic development program. See Iowa State news release

MRC’s Dalal Named IEEE Fellow

Vik Dalal, director of IPRT’s Microelectronics Research Center, has been elected a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, the world’s largest engineering society. He was elected “for contributions to thin-film photovoltaic energy conversion materials and devices.” Only 0.5 percent of IEEE members can be elected fellows. Dalal is also Whitney Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and associate chair of the electrical and computer engineering department at Iowa State University.

Meetings & Events

President’s Visit

[PHOTO]President's Visit

Iowa State University President Gregory Geoffroy (left) discusses a research project with Rana Biswas (right), a researcher with IPRT's Microelectronics Research Center. Geoffroy and Executive Vice President and Provost Elizabeth Hoffman met with IPRT in September. The meeting included discussions with IPRT centers and IPRT Company Assistance as well as a poster session featuring IPRT research.

Advisory Board

IPRT's Industrial Advisory Board held its bi-annual meeting in October. The host center for the meeting was the Center for Nondestructive Evaluation, which

held a poster session highlighting its research. Ulrike Passe, the new director of IPRT's Center for Building Energy Research, provided an overview of her background and plans for the center. New board members Bernardo A. Perez, engineering director at Schneider Electric, and David Harpole, Vice President of Energy Supply, Wisconsin Public Service, also attended the meeting.

Bio 2008

IPRT Company Assistance and IPRT's Center for Catalysis were represented in the IPRT booth at the 2008 Biobased Industry Outlook Conference. The event

was attended by over 700 people representing academia, industry, government and nongovernmental organizations.

Venture Capital Conference

Brian Muff, technology commercialization associate in IPRT Company Assistance’s Technology Commercialization group, attended and worked the IPRT booth at October's Iowa Venture Capital and Entrepreneur Conference, which is organized by Iowa's Department of Economic Development.

Upcoming Events

Holiday Party 2008

IPRT and Ames Lab employees, retirees and friends are all welcome to attend the annual Ames Lab/IPRT Holiday Party, Thursday, Dec. 11, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in 301 Spedding.

The event features refreshments and a live auction. Attendees are also encouraged to bring warm hats, mittens and non-perishable food donations. (See a shopping list in a PDF format). Auction proceeds and donations will benefit the Bethesda Community Food Pantry.

Science Bowls

IPRT is a major sponsor of the upcoming Ames Lab/ISU Science Bowls, which aims to excite and challenge the Midwest’s brightest students.The high school edition is Jan. 31, 2009, while the middle school competition is Feb. 20-21, 2009. Volunteers are still needed to act as judges, moderators. scorekeepers and timekeepers. If interested, please contact Breehan Gerleman-Lucchesi, Ames Lab Public Affairs, breehan@ameslab.gov, 294-9750.

ETC | 09

VRAC's Emerging Technologies Conference | 09 will be held Apr. 2-3, 2009, with keynote speaker Gregory D. Abowd, Distinguished professor of interactive computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The conference also includes technology demonstrations, poster presentations and IgniteIT, an evening of networking and idea sharing. Note that registration is required to attend.

News from Ames Laboratory?

IPRT employees who are not affiliates of Ames Laboratory have been removed from the mailing list of Ames Lab's Insider newsletter. If you wish to continue receiving Insider, please contact Breehan Gerleman-Lucchesi, Ames Lab Public Affairs, breehan@ameslab.gov, 294-9750.

About IPRT News

The Institute for Physical Research and Technology is a network of scientific research centers at Iowa State University. In addition to performing world-class scientific research, IPRT provides technical assistance and contract research services to Iowa companies and offers education programs for students from middle through graduate school.

This monthly email newsletter is produced by IPRT Public Affairs for IPRT employees and all interested parties.
• To subscribe and contribute news, contact: Robert Mills, IPRT Public Affairs, rmills@iastate.edu, 515-294-1113.
• View a Web version here.

Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. veteran. Inquiries can be directed to the Director of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, 3210 Beardshear Hall, (515) 294-7612.