UNI licenses breakthrough technology to an Iowa business

The patented technology, once featured on the History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was developed at UNI’s National Ag-Based Lubricants Center (NABL) by Lou Honary, director, and Wes James, associate director. It allows manufacturers to use industrial microwaves to process food, chemicals, soaps and greases. It's not only safer than using fuel oil, but it also has the potential to reduce U.S. energy consumption on processing by 8.5 percent. That equates to 338 million barrels of oil a year, at an annual cost savings of $31 billion.

NABL announced a licensing agreement with Marion Mixers that could revolutionize the food processing industry. In cooperation with AmTek Microwaves in Cedar Rapids, Marion Mixers designed industrial-sized microwave mixers to produce everything from powdered eggs and growth supplements to elastomers used in windshield wipers.

"This is a situation where there’s no one else in the world that we know of that's making a commercially viable mixer-microwave combination," says Doug Grudner, co-owner of Marion Mixers.

UNI-NABL is a non-profit, university-based research and testing facility dedicated to the advancement of biobased lubricants. UNI-NABL's research has resulted in the commercialization of more than 30 soybean-oil-based industrial lubricants and greases.

Upcoming Events

UNI’s Institute for Decision Making will participate in the Professional Developers of Iowa Day on Wednesday, Feb. 27, at the Iowa Statehouse.