Corn as an industrial additive is nothing new, but Sumatra Biorenewables LLC, based in Ames, is utilizing unique bonding properties of corn molecules to radically improve nylon 6, 6 — a product used in everything from clothing to vehicle tires, and sleeping bags to garden hoses.

For its efforts, Sumatra Biorenewables was named one of three winners of the Consider Corn Challenge II, an effort by the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) as it works toward its...