Bio-Lubricant Named World's Best Technology

Agro Management Group (Colorado Springs, CO) was honored recently for its patented technology which enables plant-based lubricants to be used instead of petroleum in internal combustion engines.

Sterling Bio-Technologies Corp. was formed in 2003 to bring this technology to market and holds an exclusive license to manufacture and sell lubricants based on the technology in the U.S. and Canada.

The Sterling Grade” products are made from a base of 100% vegetable oil – including canola, sunflower and soybean – which is blended with additives to produce engine oils and other lubricants. The lubricants can be used in automotive and small engine applications. In addition to providing a market-ready alternative to petroleum-based engine oils that comes from renewable, agricultural products, these lubricants have added benefits including reductions in engine wear, tailpipe emissions and gasoline consumption. They are are also biodegradable and non-toxic.

Despite the long-recognized superiority of plant-based oils over petroleum-based oils as lubricants, plant-based oils have not been previously been considered suitable for use in internal combustion engines because they lacked stability needed for high temperature applications.

Carol Werner, Sterling’s chief executive officer. “The recognition of the technology as “World’s Best” by the participants in the adds independent support to our assessment of the technology, and the timing of the award couldn’t be better as we will begin production of the lubricants in commercial quantities starting in April, 2004.”

Sponsored by the National Association of Seed and Venture Funds and the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer, the World’s Best Technology 2004 Showcase featured presentations of 60 technologies selected from a pool of applicants by seasoned investors and commercialization experts. Agro Management Group won first place. The second-place award went to Ice Energy (Colorado) for an energy storage device that reduces electrical demand during peak demand hours, and the third-place award went to Featherfiber Corp. (Missouri) for a technology that uses poultry feathers to produce fibers that can be used to make composites, filters/mats, coatings and cosmetics. The showcase was held in March in Arlington, Texas.

Agro is currently working with the U.S. Navy and DOD under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to develop technology for diesel engines.

www.sterlinggrade.com
www.agromgt.com