UNI-NABL Receives Grant

The University of Northern Iowa's National Ag-Based Lubricants Center recently received a $370,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to research the potential use of bio-based lubricants on railroad tracks.

    Currently, parts of railroad tracks, especially curves, are lubricated with petroleum-based products. Wes James, assistant director of grants and project management for UNI-NABL, said the demand for such lubricants on railroad tracks is surprisingly large.

    "Railroad tracks which have not been lubricated wear out relatively quickly, due to the grinding action of wheel flanges on the inside of each rail," said James. "By properly lubricating the rails, significant savings can be realized in reduced track replacement costs and increased equipment life."

    However, according to James, using petroleum-based products to lubricate railroad tracks harms both the environment and the U.S. economy. The petroleum-based products go into the soil surrounding railroad tracks after storms and pollute the ecosystem. Additionally, James noted that the need for petroleum-based lubricants increases America's dependence on foreign oil.

     If UNI-NABL's research finds that bio-based lubricants derived from soybeans are equally, or more, effective than petroleum-based products, the potential for bio-based lubricants is enormous.

    "The U.S. railroad track lubrication market alone is well over 10 million pounds of grease per year. If we can replace part of that with a more biodegradable product (like bio-based lubricants), that's a win for the environment. If we can replace part of that with a product manufactured from crop oils, that's a win for the agriculture industry and if we can use soybean oil, that's a win for Iowa," James said.

     UNI-NABL aims to complete its research comparing the performance, environmental and economic impact of petroleum-based lubricants with bio-based lubricants within the next 12 to 15 months.