The Project of INRTU Researcher Alexander Govorin Was Included In the All-Russian Rating of TOP-1000 University Startups
The project of INRTU researcher Alexander Govorin "Synthetic lubricant production technology" was included in the annual All-Russian rating of TOP-1000 university startups.
The rating was established within the framework of the federal project of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia “Platform of university technological entrepreneurship” to popularize and support the most promising university startups. The status of a rating participant helps a startup to get media support and makes it more visible to potential industrial partners and investors.
Only two projects from the Irkutsk Region made it into the rating. Alexander Govorin, a technology entrepreneur and resident of the INRTU Startup Studio, ranked 176th.
Alexander is working on a technology for the production of esters based on a by-product of cellulose production – fatty acids of tall oil or other vegetable oils (rapeseed, sunflower, palm oil).
Researcher notes that Russia does not practically produce motor oils and other lubricants based on esters, which are classified by the American Petroleum Institute (API) as Group V base oils. In turn, esters have high technical and operational characteristics compared to petroleum-based oils (groups I-III).
Esters can be used in various directions (base oil in production of motor and hydraulic oils, as a component that improves the performance properties of petroleum-based motor oils, and as a multifunctional additive in diesel fuel, etc.).
The ester oils will enable the growth of domestic producers of low viscosity motor oils (SAE 0W-16 type and below). This will provide reduced vaporizability, low friction and fuel economy, improved heat dissipation, extended oil change interval and compliance with environmental requirements.
The prospects of the project development are to organize own production with capacity from 165 tons/year by product (esters) with the possibility of scaling up to 2000 tons/year. The developer is also considering selling the technology, including license use.
Alexander Govorin's startup is a participant of the Skolkovo Foundation and the International Scientific and Educational Center “Baikal” with appropriate support measures.
The project website: https://navigator.sk.ru/orn/1124164
It should be noted that within the TOP-1000 rating a separate TOP-50 project was formed, the participants of which received an invitation to present their startups and ideas at the All-Russian Forum of Technological Entrepreneurship. The TOP-50 includes 25 startups with a high degree of readiness and investors already found, and 25 start-up but promising early-stage projects.
