Ethanol production has become a key market for U.S. corn, but margins are often tight. New technology would allow existing ethanol plants to convert a part of their production into making plant-based chemicals that have higher values, with profits that could be passed along to corn growers. “We know that ethanol today is a commodity that has been really pressed …
Keeping Up With Corn Research
While the content shared during sessions at the 2018 Corn Utilization and Technology Conference was very technical, it was valuable to Mark Sponsler, Executive Director of the Colorado Corn Growers Association. “Behind any market development effort, and at the root or the base of any new technology that represents market demand, there has to be a foundation of solid research,” …
Making Chemicals From Ethanol
Participants in the 2018 Corn Utilization & Technology Conference in St. Louis were largely interested in expanding the market for ethanol, and not necessarily in conventional ways. “We’re hoping to provide alternatives to the sale of ethanol into the fuels market,” said Ron Cascone, principal with Nexant, Inc. “The theme of what I’m doing here is to show that there …
2018 CUTC is a Wrap
The first Corn Utilization and Technology Conference was held 30 years ago. Since 1987, CUTC has brought together leading innovators to focus on new uses for corn with the goals of expanding markets and demand while improving quality and efficiency. National Corn Growers Association CEO Chris Novak says this year’s conference this week was another great success for the future …
Ethanol Policy Concerns for Corn Growers
This week’s apparent backing off by the White House from a deal involving biofuels policy leaves a cloudy situation for ethanol, according to National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) CEO Chris Novak. During an interview at this week’s Corn Utilization and Technology Conference, Novak says while nothing official has come out of the White House, they are pleased with word from …
Ethanol and Trade Center Stage for NCGA
National Corn Growers Association president Kevin Skunes of North Dakota says he expected to be focused mainly on the farm bill this year, but trade and ethanol have “taken a lot of oxygen out of the room.” During an interview at the Corn Utilization and Technology Conference (CUTC) this week, Skunes saiede they are disappointed that the House version of …
CUTC Extends Poster Submission Deadline
The Corn Utilization & Technology Conference (CUTC) just announced that the deadline for posters to be submitted has been extended to Friday, May 18, 2018. There are a number of categories that you can submit a poster to including: The professional category for both general and mycotoxin posters General session student posters Mycotoxin student posters The Poster session is a …
DuPont Develops Momomers From Biorefining Process
DuPont is adding value yet again to the biorefining process. The company is working with ADM on a collaboration to convert fructose to momomers to polymers that can be used in consumer products. Last week attendees at the Corn Utilization and Technology Conference (CUTC16) learned about this emerging technology from Michael Saltzberg who is the business director for DuPont Industrial …
Emerging Oil Recovery Technology Featured at #CUTC16
Corn oil extraction is becoming the norm rather than the exception for U.S. ethanol plants but there is an emerging oil recovery technology that may turn the current processes upside down says Scott Kohl with White Energy. He talked about the future of this oil recovery technology during his presentation on the Biorefining I panel at the Corn Utilization and …
Biocognito Assists #Biobased Companies Enter Market
Biobased was a hot topic at this year’s Corn Utilization Technology Conference (#CUTC16) and one person on hand who knows a lot about the emerging technologies in this space is Nathan Danielson, who works for Biocognito. The company is a small consulting firm that counsels businesses working to bring new technologies to the biomaterials space. He said that many of …