Source: UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA submitted to
BIOBASED FIBROUS MATERIALS AND CLEANER TECHNOLOGIES FOR A SUSTAINABLE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE TEXTILE INDUSTRY
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
NEW
Funding Source
HATCH
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0232572
Grant No.
(N/A)
Project No.
NEB-37-037
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
S-1054
Program Code
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Jan 1, 2013
Project End Date
Sep 30, 2018
Grant Year
(N/A)
Project Director
Yang, YI.
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA
(N/A)
LINCOLN,NE 68583
Performing Department
Textiles, Merchandising & Fashion Design
Non Technical Summary
Adding value to agricultural byproducts and coproducts of biofuel production and finding sustainable alternative sources for existing petroleum-based products will have a substantial and long term impact on agriculture, the economy, the environment and energy independence and security of the United States. The five major food crops (corn, wheat, soy, sorghum and rice) in the United States generate about 300 million tons of lignocellulosic crop residues as byproducts every year. These byproducts currently have limited use. These abundant and low cost ($50-$80 per ton) agricultural byproducts are renewable and sustainable without the need for additional natural resources. It has been demonstrated that lignocellulosic byproducts such as corn stover, rice and wheat straw can be used to obtain high quality fibers suitable for textile, composite and other applications (Reddy, 2005, 2006, 2007; Huda, 2008). Cellulose from these lignocellulosics can also be used to generate regenerated cellulose fibers (rayon) or it can be utilized as reinforcing agent or filler to plastics and resins. Similarly, biofuel production from cereal grains generates abundant carbohydrate and protein containing coproducts that have limited applications. For instance, more than 10 million tons of distillers dried grains (DDG) are generated every year and DDG has a selling price of less than $130 per ton, much lower than the current selling price of common thermoplastic polymers such as polypropylene and polyethylene (> $2,000 per ton). It has been demonstrated that coproducts of biofuel production such as distillers dried grains (DDG) can be used to develop thermoplastics (Hu, 2011a,b). Developing biobased products from agricultural byproducts and coproducts as well as wastes has the potential to increase income from the crops while benefits the farmers and biofuel industries economically and reduces our dependence on petroleum based resources. The new value-added products will increase income from crop production, help to establish small businesses and create new jobs leading to economic benefits. Similarly, biobased products can replace synthetic polymers based products and benefit the environment. Adding value to the coproducts of biofuel production will help to reduce the cost of biofuels and make biofuels competitive to fossil fuels and reduce our dependence on foreign sources for energy. This multi-state proposal provides an opportunity for experts in biobased products to collaborate synergistically and develop unique biobased products. Without such an effort, it may be difficult to commercialize biobased products, improve income from agriculture, reduce cost of biofuels and have a sustainable and economically competitive biobased industry. Similarly, methods to conserve energy and water and develop novel technologies to treat textile waste water will help to reduce cost of textile processing and pollution and help to make the textile industry environmentally friendly. This will give a competitive edge to the US textile industry and, in addition, will potentially save billions of cubic meters of water.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
1311799202010%
1313699202010%
1315120202020%
1331799202020%
5111799202010%
5113699202010%
5115199202020%
Knowledge Area
133 - Pollution Prevention and Mitigation; 131 - Alternative Uses of Land; 511 - New and Improved Non-Food Products and Processes;

Subject Of Investigation
5120 - Textiles; 3699 - Sheep and wool, general/other; 5199 - Clothing and textiles, general; 1799 - Fiber crops, general/other;

Field Of Science
2020 - Engineering;
Goals / Objectives
Objectives and sub-objectives involving NE participation 3.1. Objective 1: To develop novel biobased polymeric materials a. To develop fibrous materials from the natural cellulose in the lignocellulosic agricultural byproducts for textile and composite applications b. To develop fibrous materials from the proteins in the agricultural coproducts for textile and composite and medical applications c. To develop fibrous materials from synthetic biopolymers for textile and composite applications d. To develop biothermoplastics from the carbohydrates and protein in agricultural byproducts and coproducts for textile and composite applications 3.2. Objective 2: To develop and evaluate biobased fibrous products for eco-friendly crop protection 3.3. Objective 3: To develop and evaluate biobased products for health and safety applications a. Understand the potential of plant proteins as biomaterials for medical applications. 3.4. Objective 4: To develop and evaluate methods to remove dyes and finishing chemicals from textile waste water Anticipated outcomes Major objectives of this research will have outputs in the form of products. Objective 1a will produce cellulose fibers, protein fibers will be obtained from Objective 1b, synthetic fibers will be obtained from objective 1c and 1d and biothermoplastics will be obtained from Objective 1e. Overall, Objective 1 will produce products that will be evaluated quantitatively for performance properties in comparison to similar products currently available on the market. Objective 4 will develop treatment methods to efficiently remove dyes and auxiliary chemicals from waste water. Results obtained will be used to publish papers, presentations at conferences and also for thesis and dissertations. The cellulose, protein and synthetic fibers developed from the agricultural byproducts and coproducts are expected to reduce our dependence on natural resources for fibers and fibrous products. This will also help to add more value to our agricultural crops, benefit the environment and also create jobs and improve the economy. Understanding the potential of using fibers derived from agricultural crops for medical applications will help us to develop unique biomaterials for medical applications and could lead to reduction in medical costs. The biodegradable mulches, UV-covers and insect meshes can reduce the cost to farmers, reduce disposal problems and also increase the productivity from the farms. Though the current cost of biodegradable covers is higher than petroleum based films the cost is expected to decrease with higher adoption rates and increased volume of production of bio-based covers. In addition, two potential environmental and energy reducing benefits of using biodegradable covers over traditional plastics are less dependence on petroleum and no hassle of final disposability by incineration or other methods.
Project Methods
4.1. Developing natural, regenerated cellulose and protein and synthetic fibers from the agricultural byproducts and coproducts The lignocellulosic agricultural byproducts such as corn stover, wheat and soybean straw and cotton stalks will be used to obtain natural cellulose fibers for textile and composite applications. Proteins such as zein, soyproteins and wheat gluten in the agricultural coproducts and keratin in chicken feathers will be made into regenerated protein fibers for textile and medical applications. Synthetic biopolymers will also be used to develop fibers. These polymers will be melt spun into fibers using a laboratory fiber extruder. Electrospinning will be used to produce ultra and nano scale fibers from the proteins and synthetic polymers for medical applications. 4.2. Crosslinking and imparting functional properties to the fibers We will crosslink the fibers using carboxylic acids (citric acid, butanetetracarboxylic acid). New method of carboxylic acid crosslinking without using catalysts will be considered to crosslink the fibers (Reddy, 2007). 4.3. Characterizing the structure and properties of the fibers Fibers obtained will be tested for their composition, fineness, length, morphological and physical structure and tensile properties using ASTM standards. 4.4. Processing the biofibers into textiles Yarns (ring and rotor spun) will be developed from the natural cellulose fibers. Our goal will be to develop yarns made entirely from the fibers developed in this research. 4.5. Completely biodegradable composites from the agricultural byproducts and coproducts The cellulose fibers obtained from the agricultural byproducts will be used as reinforcement for composites and coproducts of biofuel production or other synthetic biofibers or biopolymers as matrix to develop 100% biodegradable composites. 4.6. Chemical modification of biopolymers for thermoplastic applications The lignocellulosic byproducts and the coproducts of biofuel production are non-thermoplastic. The agricultural byproducts will be chemically modified by etherification using acrylonitrile and by grafting vinyl monomers. 4.7. Medical applications of the Biofibers The normal and electrospun protein fibers developed in Objective 1b and the biothermoplastic fiber developed in Objective 1d will be studied for potential medical applications such as tissue engineering and controlled drug release. 5. Outputs Objective 1a will produce cellulose fibers, protein fibers will be obtained from Objective 1b, synthetic fibers will be obtained from objective 1c and 1d and biothermoplastics will be obtained from Objective 1e. Biothermoplastics will be developed from algal proteins in Objective 1f. Objective 3b will develop textiles containing novel finishes that can protect against biological threats and Objective 3c will develop textiles and apparels with good fire resistance. Objective 4 will develop treatment methods to efficiently remove dyes and auxiliary chemicals from waste water. Results obtained will be used to publish papers, presentations at conferences and also for thesis and dissertations.

Progress 10/01/16 to 09/30/17

Outputs
Target Audience:Textile scientists, engineers and technologists; agricultural and biological engineers; materials, polymers, and biomaterials scientists and engineers? environmental engineers Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have reported our findings 3 times at major national and international conferences, and 3 time to local, and regional audiences. We have published 15 refereed journal articles. Our work on fully stereo-complexed PLA fibers attracted much attention throughout the world due to its potential for large scale production of high quality PLA materials. Our research on bioplastics/polymers were selected to report in the State of the University 2017 document. http://www.unl.edu/chancellor/state-of-the-university-address-2017 (42-46 seconds). Heating promises better bioplastics. By Amanda Joshi. Chemical Processing. Sept. 25, 2017. http://www.chemicalprocessing.com/articles/2017/heating-promises-better-bioplastics/ Budget-friendly bioplastic. NIFA (USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture) Impact Feature, Sept. 15, 2017. https://nifa.usda.gov/announcement/budget-friendly-bioplastic Is There a Rise in Biodegradable Plastic Production Coming? Trend in Tech. By Katherine Tanner. September 11, 2017. http://trendintech.com/2017/09/11/is-there-a-rise-in-biodegradable-plastic-production-coming/ UNL professor Yiqi Yang's research leads to discovery of eco-friendly polylactide plastic. The Daily Nebraskan. By Zoe De Grande. Sept. 8, 2017. http://www.dailynebraskan.com/news/unl-professor-yiqi-yang-s-research-leads-to-discovery-of/article_9fa8d2d6-9440-11e7-a271-67148d0ae638.html New Technique Could Ramp Up Mass Biodegradable Plastic Production. Engineering 360 by IEEE. By Siobhan Treacy. August 31, 2017. http://insights.globalspec.com/article/6382/new-technique-could-ramp-up-mass-biodegradable-plastic-production The Making of Biodegradable Plastic Could Take Off With This New Technique. Seeker. by Molly Fosco.. Sept. 5, 2017. https://www.seeker.com/tech/materials/the-making-of-biodegradable-plastic-could-take-off-with-this-new-technique New breakthrough technique could revolutionise biodegradable plastic. Aristos Georgiou, International Business Times. By Aristos Georgiou. Sept 1, 2017. http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/new-breakthrough-technique-could-revolutionise-biodegradable-plastic-1637618 Mass production of biodegradable plastic. ScienceDaily. Aug. 31, 2017. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170831091454.htm GOEDKOPE PRODUCTIEMETHODE VOOR BIOPLASTIC. Techiek Maakt Je Wereld. Aug. 31, 2017. https://www.deingenieur.nl/artikel/goedkope-productiemethode-voor-bioplastic UNL researchers are working on corn starch bioplastic to reduce waste. The Daily Nebraskan. Sept. 1, 2017.http://www.dailynebraskan.com/news/unl-researchers-are-working-on-corn-starch-bioplastic-to-reduce/article_3ff67e84-8ebd-11e7-9e3e-833de7460b69.html Huskers bring the heat to improve biodegradable plastics. Scott Schrage. Nebraska Today. August 31, 2017. http://news.unl.edu/newsrooms/today/article/huskers-bring-the-heat-to-improve-biodegradable-plastics/ UNL professor Yiqi Yang's research leads to discovery of eco-friendly polylactide plastic. Polyestertime.Sept. 11, 2017.http://www.polyestertime.com/unl-yiqi-yang-eco-friendly-polylactide-plastic/ Technique could aid mass production of biodegradable plastic Biofueldaily. Aug. 31, 2017.http://www.biofueldaily.com/reports/Technique_could_aid_mass_production_of_biodegradable_plastic_999.html Technique could aid mass production of biodegradable plasticScienceCodex. Aug. 31,2017. http://www.sciencecodex.com/technique-could-aid-mass-production-biodegradable-plastic-614105 New Technology capable of improving properties of bio-thermoplastics. Chinese Academy of Science. http://www.cas.cn/kj/201709/t20170907_4613578.shtml The research on bioplastics from PLA is also reported by: Morning AgClips. https://www.morningagclips.com/mass-production-of-biodegradable-plastic/ Materialsgate. https://www.materialsgate.de/en/mnews/76006/Huskers+bring+the+heat+to+improve+biodegradable+plastics.html Product design and development. https://www.pddnet.com/news/2017/08/technique-could-aid-mass-production-biodegradable-plastic R&D Magazine. https://www.rdmag.com/news/2017/09/technique-could-aid-mass-production-biodegradable-plastic Science Magazine. https://scienmag.com/technique-could-aid-mass-production-of-biodegradable-plastic/ RurekAlert. https://eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-08/uon-tca083017.php ChemInfo. https://www.chem.info/news/2017/08/technique-could-aid-mass-production-biodegradable-plastic Physical Organization. https://phys.org/news/2017-08-technique-aid-mass-production-biodegradable.html Our research on natural dyes and their unique functions attracted much attention internationally and was reported worldwide. Sorghum shows potential as fabric dye. Gina Incontro. Nebraska Today. August 7, 2017. http://news.unl.edu/newsrooms/today/article/sorghum-shows-potential-as-fabric-dye/ Nebraska researcher using sorghum for textile dye. Gina Incontro. IANR News. July 31, 2017. http://ianrnews.unl.edu/nebraska-researcher-using-sorghum-textile-dye Success Story. Sorghum: health food, sweetener and now, clothing dye. NIFA (USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture) Update, May 31, 2017. https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDANIFA/bulletins/19e8ba8 Sorghum Grain Alternative Uses: Healthy Popcorn, Gluten-Free Food, Clothing Dye & More. Gutlerrez, N., may 25, 2017. The Science Times. http://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/16036/20170525/sorghum-grain-alternative-uses-healthy-popcorn-gluten-free-food-clothing-dye-more.htm Sorghum: health food, sweetener and now, clothing dye. ACS (American Chemical Society) News Service Weekly PressPac (press package). May 24, 2017. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering. Only 200 out of a total of 100,000 researches were selected for this report annually. https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/presspacs/2017/acs-presspac-may-24-2017/sorghum-health-food-sweetener-and-now-clothing-dye.html Our work on utilization of feathers was reported by media: Chicken feathers -- poultry's diamond in the rough.By Katie Keiger. Poultry Times Aug 16, 2017. http://www.poultrytimes.com/poultry_today/article_e81e9b2c-8207-11e7-b16d-6370e4ed90d8.html Our work on utilizing corn for textiles and biomedical industry was reported by media. Nebraska Corn Production Fuels Research and Innovation. by Jessica Walker Boehm Nebraska Agriculture and You 2017. pp45-47. Nebraska Agriculture and You is an annual magazine published in partnership with the Nebraska Dept. of Agriculture. http://www.farmflavor.com/nebraska/nebraska-agriculture-2017/ What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Continue to work diligently and productively on Objectives 1, 3 and 4. Major focus will be on biofibers from agricultural byproducts and coproducts for textiles, materials and biomedical applications, and on using green chemicals, mainly green crosslinkers, green slashing materials, and others to substitute petro-based chemicals for textiles, plastics, and medical applications.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? What was accomplished under these goals NE continues its development of biofibers from agricultural by-products, co-products and wastes and biobased materials from bio-polymers for textiles, composites and medical applications (Objs 1 and 3), and eco-friendly dyeing and finishing processes and products for textiles (Obj. 4) Our main focus this year is on translational and pilot scale formation of biobased materials with excellent properties and low costs for future industrial productions. We continued our research on keratin and soyprotein manipulations for various applications focusing on continuous production of 100% protein fibers. We also worked on developing environmentally responsible sizing/slashing agent from soyprotein isolates and soymeal to substitute PVA, which is a major problem for high COD in textile effluent, and on developing novel dyeing systems for cotton, and wool to decrease and eliminate dyeing effluents. We have focused on utilization of sorghum byproducts and coproducts, mainly husks and distillers grains for textile dyes and protein extractions, and have developed an excellent natural dye from sorghum husk and the best extraction method of proteins from sorghum distillers. We have worked on development of fabrics and garments from natural cellulosic fibers from cotton stalk blended with cotton. We continued our research on reuse waste carpets as composites materials. Outcome/Milestones First time in the world, we have had a breakthrough in our polylactide research, i.e., have made 100% stereo-complexed crystals for PLA fibers with molecular weight up to 6x105. The stereo-complexed structure substantially improved the resistance of PLA plastics against hydrolysis and increased softening points of PLA up to 60C. Such two major improvements provided PLA its possibility to be an excellent engineering plastics for the use at high temperature environments, and for the use in textiles. We have made major success in extracting dyes from sorghum husks, and dyed wool with excellent properties, including depth of shades, colorfastness. We also found that the dyes have excellent fluorescent properties, and UV protections. We have made a garment from cotton stalk fibers, blended with cotton and have demonstrated that the materials from cotton stalk fibers have excellent performance properties. A novel green process for hair perming and straightening using environmentally responsible and non-toxic chemical systems is fully developed and ready for industrial utilizations. Impacts Our findings continue to provide important information to researchers and industries for selecting the appropriate renewable resources and application conditions for the development of fibrous materials for textiles and composites industries. Our researches on the biobased materials, including fibers and chemicals, provide opportunities for Nebraska to add benefits and jobs to its economy. Our researches on zero discharge in dyeing, soymeal sizes, natural dyes from sorghum husks, and biofibers provide opportunities for the textile and materials industries to decrease their dependence on petroleum, andincrease their sustainability. Our researches attract industries to contactUNL's Office of TechnologyDevelopment for technology transfers. Our researches have been reported by organizations throughout the world.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Ma*, B.M., Sun, Q.S., Yang, J., Wizi, J., Hou, X.L., and Yang*, Y.Q. Degradation and regeneration of feather keratin in NMMO solution. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 24(21). 17711-17718 (2017).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Song, K.L., Xu, H.L., Xie, K.L., and Yang*, Y.Q. Keratin-based biocomposites reinforced and crosslinked with dual-functional cellulose nanocrystals. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering. 5(7), 5669-5678(2017).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Hou*, X.L., Fang, F.F., Guo, X.L., Wizi, J., Ma, B.M. Tao, Y.Y., Yang*, Y.Q. Potential of Sorghum Husk Extracts as a Natural Functional Dye for Wool Fabrics. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering. 5(6) 4589-4597(2017).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Mu, B.N., Xu, H.L., and Yang*, Y.Q., Improved Mechanism of Polyester Dyeing with Disperse Dyes in Finite Dye Bath. Coloration Technology. 133(5). 415-422(2017).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Ma*, B.M., Yang, J., Sun, Q.S., Jakpa, W., Hou, X.L., and Yang*, Y.Q. Influence of Cellulose/[Bmim]Cl solution on the properties of fabricated PVDF membranes. Journal of Materials Science. 52(16). 9946-9957 (2017).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Hou*, X.L., Zhang, L., Wizi, J., Liao, X.R., Ma, B.M, and Yang*, Y.Q. Preparation and properties of cotton stalk bark fibers using combined steam explosion and laccase treatment. Journal of Applied Polymer Science. 134(32). 45058 (8 pages). (2017).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Zhao, Y., Xu, H.L., and Yang*, Y.Q. Development of biodegradable textile sizes from soymeal: a renewable and cost-effective resource. Journal of Polymers and the Environment. 25(2), 349-358
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Cui*, L., Reddy, N., Xu, H.L., Fan, X.R., and Yang*, Y.Q., Enzyme-Modified Casein Fibers and their Potential Application in Drug Delivery. Fibers and Polymers. 18(5). 900-906 (2017).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Pan, G.W., Xu, H.L., Mu, B.N., Ma, B.M., Yang, J., and Yang*, Y.Q.. Complete stereo-complexation of enantiomeric polylactides for scalable continuous production. Chemical Engineering Journal. 328. 759-767 (2017).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Song, K.L., Xu, H.L., Mu, B.N., Xie, K.L., and Yang*, Y.Q. Non-toxic and clean crosslinking system for protein materials: effect of extenders on crosslinking performance. Journal of Cleaner Production. 150. 214-223 (2017).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Song, K.L., Xu, H.L., Xu, L., Xie, K.L., and Yang*, Y.Q. Preparation of cellulose nanocrystal-reinforced keratin bioadsorbent for effective removal of dyes from aqueous solution. Bioresource Technology. 232. 254-262 (2017).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Xu, H.L., Song, K.L., Mu, B.N., and Yang*, Y.Q. A green and sustainable technology for high-efficiency and low-damage manipulation of densely crosslinked proteins. ACS Omega. 2(5). 1760-1768(2017
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Ma*, B.M., Chen, W.X., Qiao, X., Pan, G.W., Jakpa, W., Hou, X.L., and Yang*, Y.Q. Tunable wettability and tensile strength of chitosan membranes using keratin microparticles as reinforcement. Journal of Applied Polymer Science. 134(14). 44667 (9 pages). (2017).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Yang, M.P., Xu, H.L., Hou, X.L., Zhang, J., and Yang*. Y.Q. Biodegradable sizing agents from soy protein via controlled hydrolysis and dis-entanglement for remediation of textile effluents. Journal of Environmental Management. 188. 26-31(2017).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Liu, P.C., Xu, H.L., Zhao, Y., and Yang*, Y.Q. Rheological properties of soy protein isolate solution for fibers and films. Food Hydrocolloids. 64. 149-156 (2017).
  • Type: Books Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Yang, Y.Q., Yu, J.Y., Xu, H.L., and Sun, B.Z. edited book. Porous Lightweight Composites Reinforced with Fibrous Structures. 368 pp. 4 parts, 13 Chapters. 140 Figures and 39 Tebles. Published by Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, Germany. (Heidelberger Platz 3, 14197 Berlin, Germany). ISBN 978-3-662-53802-9; ISBN 978-3-662-53804-3 (eBook). DOI 10.1007/978-3-662-53804-3. Library of Congress Control Number 2016962702. Copyright Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany 2017. https://link.springer.com/download/epub/10.1007/978-3-662-53804-3.epub https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2F978-3-662-53804-3.pdf
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Mu, B.N., Xu, H.L., and Yang*, Y.Q. Accelerated Hydrolysis of Cellulosics after Reactive Dyeing. The Fiber Societys Fall 2017 Technical Meeting and Conference and International Symposium on Materials from Renewables (Advanced, Smart, and Sustainable Polymers, Fibers, and Textiles). November 8-10, 2017. Athens, Georgia, USA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Yang*, Y.Q., Pan, G.W., Xu, H.L., Ma, B.M., Qian, Z.L., and Lao, H.Z. Melt-Spun PLLA-PDLA Fibers with Completely Stereo-Complexed Crystallites. 8th International Conference on Advanced Fibers and Polymer Materials. (ICAFPM 2017 Next-Generation Fibers: Changing Our Life), Session H: Natural Fibers and Biomimetic Polymers. Keynote Speech. Shanghai, China. October 8-10, 2017.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Xu, H.L., Palakurthi, M., Xu, L., and Yang*, Y.Q. Compression molded composites from waste polyester and cotton textiles. Session of Processing & Properties of Biobased Composites & Blends. 253rd ACS National Meeting & Exposition, San Francisco, CA, United States, April 2-6, 2017, CELL-309. (April 4, 1:55-2:20 pm).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Yang, Y.Q., Hou, X.L., Fang, F.F., Guo, X.L., Wizi, J., Ma, B.M., and Tao, Y.Y. Textiles Dyed with Sorghum Husks. The Nebraska Grain Sorghum Board Meeting. Board Room, Nebraska Innovation Campus, 2021 Transformation Drive, Lincoln, NE. November 14, 2017.


Progress 10/01/15 to 09/30/16

Outputs
Target Audience:textiles, agricultural and biological engineering, materials, polymers, biomaterials. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have reported our findings 8 times at major national and international conferences, and 2 times to local, and regional audiences. We have published 12 refereed journal articles. Our work on cornhusk and feather fibers was reported by Anna Brones in Civil Eats (Anna Brones. One Man's Food Waste Is Another's Sustainable Fashion Statement. Civil Eats. March 9, 2016. http://civileats.com/2016/03/09/one-mans-food-waste-is-anothers-sustainable-fashion/ ) Our work on citric acid crosslinking system was reported by American Chemical Society (ACS News Service Weekly PressPac (press package)- Jan. 27, 2016 Creating 'greener' wrinkle-resistant cotton fabric, ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering". http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/presspacs/2016/acs-presspac-january-27-2016/creating-greener-wrinkle-resistant-cotton-fabric.html). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Continue to work diligently and productively on Objectives 1, 3 and 4. Major focus will be on biofibers from agricultural byproducts and coproducts for textiles, materials and biomedical applications, and on using green chemicals, mainly green crosslinkers, green slashing materials, and others to substitute petro-based chemicals for textiles, plastics, and medical applications.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? What was accomplished under these goals NE continues its development of biofibers from agricultural by-products, co-products and wastes and biobased materials from bio-polymers for textiles, composites and medical applications (Objs 1 and 3), and eco-friendly dyeing and finishing processes and products for textiles (Obj. 4) We have worked on development of natural cellulosic fibers from cotton stalk with high aspect ratio, which is crucial to the high quality applications of these fibers in textiles and composite reinforcement. We continue to work on improving properties of polylactide from the molecular level via the study of PLLA-PDLA interlocked structure for the better applications of PLA in textiles, and on keratin manipulations for various applications. We also work on developing environmentally responsible sizing/slashing agent from soyprotein isolates and soymeal to substitute PVA, which is a major problem for high COD in textile effluent, and on developing novel dyeing systems for cotton, and wool to decrease and eliminate dyeing effluents. We have focused on reuse waste carpets as composites materials. Outcome/Milestones First time in the world, we have demonstrated that cotton stalk fibers, blended with cotton, could make fabrics with good mechanical and dyeing properties. We invented a green process for hair perming and straightening using environmentally responsible and non-toxic chemical systems. We demonstrated through lab-scale studies that soymeal could be used to substitute PVA for polyester and poly/cotton high speed weaving. If successful on large scale trials, a low cost a substitution of PVA could be possible and industrialized in the near future to substantially decrease COD from textile effluent. We are the first to use complete waste carpets, polypropylenes and nylons, for composites with excellent mechanical and acoustical properties. We are the first to demonstrate that it is possible to have zero discharge in reactive dyeings. Impacts Our findings continue to provide important information to researchers and industries for selecting the appropriate renewable resources and application conditions for the development of fibrous materials for textiles and composites industries. Our researches on the biobased materials, including fibers and chemicals, provide opportunities for Nebraska to add benefits and jobs to its economy Our researches on zero discharge dyeing, soymeal sizes, natural dyes from corn DDGs, and biofibers, and reuse of entire waste carpets provide opportunities for the textile and materials industries to decrease their dependence on petroleum, andincrease their sustainability. Our researches attract industries to contactUNL's Office of TechnologyDevelopment for technology transfers.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Dong, Z., Hou, X.L., Haigler, I., and Yang*, Y.Q. Preparation and properties of cotton stalk bark fibers and their cotton blended yarns and fabrics. Journal of Cleaner Production. 139. 267-276 (2016).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Xu, H.L., Yang, M.P., Hou, X.L., Li, W., Su, X.Z., Yang*, Y.Q. Industrial trial of high-quality all green sizes composed of soy-derived protein and glycerol. Journal of Cleaner Production. 135. 1-8(2016).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Zhao, Y., Xu, H.L., Mu, B.N., Xu, L. and Yang*, Y.Q. Biodegradable soy protein films with controllable water solubility and enhanced mechanical properties via graft polymerization. Polymer Degradation and Stability. 133. 75-84(2016).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Zhao, Y., Xu, H.L., Mu, B.N., Xu, L., Hogan, R., and Yang*, Y.Q. Functions of soymeal compositions in textile sizing. Industrial Crops and Products. 89. 455-464(2016).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Pan, G.W., Zhao, Y., Xu, H.L., Ma, B.M., and Yang*, Y.Q. Acoustical and Mechanical Properties of Thermoplastic Composites from Discarded Carpets. Composites Part B-Engineering. 99. 98-105(2016).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Song, K.L., Xu, H.L., Xie, K.L., and Yang*, Y.Q. Effects of chemical structures of polycarboxylic acids on molecular and performance manipulation of hair keratin. RSC Advances. 6(63). 58594-58603 (2016).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Ma*, B.M., Qiao, X., Hou, X.L., and Yang*, Y.Q., Pure keratin membrane and ?bers from chicken feather. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. 89, 614-621(2016).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Chen, L.Y., Duan, Q., Chen, J.G., Yang, Y.Q., and Wang*, B.J., Antioxidant-assisted coloration of wool with xanthophylls extracted from corn distillers dry grain. Coloration Technology. 132 (3), 208-216 (2016).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Liu, J., Wang, B.J., Xu, X.M., Chen, J.G., Chen, L.Y., and Yang*, Y.Q. Green Finishing of Cotton Fabrics Using Xylitol-Extended Citric Acid Cross-linking System on a Pilot Scale. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering. 4(3), 1131-1138 (2016).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Pan, G.W., Zhao, Y., Xu, H.L., Hou, X.L., and Yang*, Y.Q. Compression Molded Composites from Discarded Nylon 6/Nylon 6,6 Carpets for Sustainable Industries. Journal of Cleaner Production. 117. 212-220 (2016).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Chen, L.Y., Wang, B.J., Chen, J.G., Ruan, X.H. and Yang*, Y.Q. Characterization of dimethyl sulfoxide-treated wool and enhancement of reactive wool dyeing in non-aqueous medium. Textile Research Journal. 86(5). 533-542 (2016).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Xu, S.X., Chen, J.G., Wang, B.J., and Yang*, Y.Q. An Environmentally Responsible Polyester Dyeing Technology Using Liquid Paraffin. Journal of Cleaner Production. 112. 987-994 (2016).


Progress 10/01/14 to 09/30/15

Outputs
Target Audience:textiles, agricultural and biological engineering, materials, polymers, biomaterials. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have reported our findings 10 times at major national and international conferences, and 6 times to local, and regional audiences. We have published two books (one authored, one edited) and 17 refereed journal articles. Our researches on nanoparticles from plant proteins for medical applications were reported by Scott Schrage in UNL Today, front page. <http://news.unl.edu/newsrooms/unltoday/>. (http://news.unl.edu/newsrooms/unltoday/article/team-customizes-nanoparticles-to-better-transport-therapeutic-drugs/). March 4, 2015. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Continue to work diligently and productively on Objectives 1, 3 and 4. Major focus will be on biofibers from agricultural byproducts and coproducts for textiles, materials and biomedical applications, and on using green chemicals, mainly green crosslinkers and green slashing materials to substitute petro-based chemicals for textiles, plastics, and medical applications.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? NE continues its development of biofibers from agricultural by-products, co-products and wastes and biobased materials from bio-polymers for textiles, composites and medical applications (Objs 1 and 3), and green chemicals to substitute environmentally polluting chemicals for textiles (Obj. 4) We have focused on development of natural cellulosic fibers from corn husks with high aspect ratio, which is crucial to the high quality applications of these fibers in textiles and composite reinforcement. We continue our work on developing nanofibers and nanoparticles from proteins for medical applications. We also have focused our research on developing environmentally responsible sizing/slashing agent to substitute PVA, which is a major problem for high COD in textile effluent, and on developing solvent dyeing systems for cotton, polyester and PLA to eliminate dyeing effluents. We continue to work on improving properties of polylactide from the molecular level via the study of PLLA-PDLA interlocked structure for the better applications of PLA in textiles. One major breakthrough is that we have developed non-toxic crosslinking system, using polycarboxylic acids and oxidized sucrose for starch, proteins and other biomacromolecules. This non-toxic crosslinking system provides possibilities for food, food packaging, and biobased materials. It also provides us opportunities to develop non-toxic systems for hair setting and perming. The other breakthrough this year was our large scale industrial demonstration on feasibility of soyproteins as effective slashing agent for textile weaving to substitute PVA. The industry high speed weaving tests showed, first time in the world, that soyprotein is the first possible substitution of PVA for polyester and poly/cotton high speed weaving. Such a substitution could substantially decrease COD from textile effluent, since PVA is the largest contributor to textile COD. We, the first time in the world, have demonstrated that high aspect ratio and high quality natural cellulosic fibers could be derived from cornhusks by a novel controlled deterioration method. We, the first time in the world, have developed stable nanoparticles from zein and other proteins with effective crosslinkages from non-toxic green chemicals for controlled delivery to sling, liver, and kidney. We, the first time in the world, have proved on industrial scale trials that soy proteins could be turned to size materials to substitute PVA with excellent performance properties and biodegradability. Our findings continue to provide important information to researchers and industries for selecting the appropriate renewable resources and application conditions for the development of fibrous materials and nanoparticles in textiles, composites and medical industries. Our researches on biofibers, in general, allow us the leading position in the area. This provides us with funds for our graduate education and for our continuing researches. Our researches attract industries to contactUNL's Office of TechnologyDevelopment for technology transfers. Our researches on the biofibers provide opportunities for Nebraska to add billions of dollars to its economy, add jobs, and for the textile and materials industries to decrease their dependence on petroleum, andincrease their sustainability. Four members of the committee, Dr. Suraj Sharma of the University of Georgia, Dr. Yan Li of Colorado State University, Dr. Yiqi Yang, and Dr. Narendar Reddy of the University of Nebraska all contributed to the Book, Lightweight Materials from Biopolymers and Biofibers. ACS Symposium Series 1175 edited by Dr. Yiqi Yang, et al. Collaborative research on carbon fibers from biopolymeric precursors with Dr. Jonathan Chen of UT Austin. Developed joint proposals to DOE.

Publications

  • Type: Books Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Reddy, N., and Yang, Y.Q. Innovative Biofibers from Renewable Resources. 454 p. 10 parts, 75 Chapters and 210 illustrations. Springer-Verlag Berlin. Heidelberg, Germany. ISBN 978-3-662-45135-9; ISBN 978-3-662-45136-6 (eBook). DOI 10.1007/978-3-662-45136-6. Springer Heidelberg, New York, Dordrecht, London. Library of Congress Control Number 2014957175. Copyright Springer-Verlag Berlin Heigelberg. 2015.
  • Type: Books Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Yang*, Y.Q. , Xu, H.L. and Yu, X. ed. Lightweight Materials from Biopolymers and Biofibers. ACS Symposium Series 1175. Copyright: American Chemical Society, Washington, DC. USA. October 21, 2014. 299pp. ISBN: 978-0-8412-2990-7; eISBN: 978-0-8412-2997-6; DOI: 10.1021/bk-2014-1175.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Chen, L.Y., Wang, B.J., Ruan, X.H., Chen, J.G. and Yang*, Y.Q. Hydrolysis-free and fully recyclable reactive dyeing of cotton in green, non-nucleophilic solvents for a sustainable textile industry. Journal of Cleaner Production. 107. 550-556(2015).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Mu, B.N., Xu, H.L., and Yang*, Y.Q., Accelerated hydrolysis of substituted cellulose for potential biofuel production: kinetic study and modeling. Bioresource Technology. 196, 332-338(2015).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Xu, H.L., Shen, L., Xu, L., and Yang*, Y.Q. Low-temperature crosslinking of proteins using non-toxic citric acid in neutral aqueous medium: mechanism and kinetic study. Industrial Crops and Products. 74. 234-240(2015).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Reddy, N. and Yang, Y.Q., Review: Potential use of plant proteins and feather keratin as sizing agents for polyester-cotton. AATCC Journal of Research, 2(2) 20-27(2015).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Xu, H.L. and Yang*, Y.Q., Nanoparticles derived from plant proteins for controlled release and targeted delivery of therapeutics. Editorial, Nanomedicine. 10(13)2001-2004(2015).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Xu, S.X., Chen, J.G., Wang, B.J., and Yang*, Y.Q. Molecular Surface Area Based Predictive Models for the Adsorption and Diffusion of Disperse Dyes in Polylactic Acid Matrix. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science. 458, 22-31(2015).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Liu, P., Xu, H.L., Mi, X., Xu, L., and Yang*, Y.Q. Oxidized sucrose: a potent and biocompatible crosslinker for three-dimensional fibrous protein scaffolds. Macromolecular Materials and Engineering. 300(4), 414-422(2015).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Xu, S.X., Chen, J.G., Wang, B.J., and Yang*, Y.Q. A Sustainable and Hydrolysis-Free Dyeing Process for Polylactic Acid Using Non-Aqueous Medium. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering. 3(6) 1039-1046 (2015). Cover Report
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Xu, H.L., Liu, P., Mi, X., Xu, L., and Yang*, Y.Q., Potent and regularizable crosslinking of ultrafine fibrous protein scaffolds for tissue engineering using a cytocompatible disaccharide derivative. Journal of Materials Chemistry B. Materials for Biology and Medicine. 3(17) 3609-3616(2015).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Zhao, Y.Z., Zhao, Y., Yang*, Y.Q. Modified Soy Proteins to Substitute Non-Degradable Petrochemicals for Slashing Industry. Industrial Crops and Products. 67. 466-474(2015).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Ma, Z.Z., Pan, G.W., Xu, H.L., Huang, Y.L., Yang*, Y.Q. Cellulosic fibers with high aspect ratio from cornhusks via controlled swelling and alkaline penetration. Carbohydrate Polymers. 124. 50-56(2015).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Reddy, N., Shi, Z., Xu, H.L., and Yang*, Y.Q. Development of Wheat Glutenin Nanoparticles and their Biodistribution in Mice. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A. 103(5), 1653-1658(2015).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Chen, L.Y., Wang, B.J., Chen, J.G., Ruan, X.H. and Yang*, Y.Q. Comprehensive Study on Cellulose Swelling for Completely Recyclable Non-Aqueous Reactive Dyeing. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. 54(9)2439-2446. (2015).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Zhao, Y., Zhao, Y.Z., Xu, H.L., and Yang*, Y.Q. A Sustainable Slashing Industry Using Biodegradable Sizes from Modified Soy Proteins to Replace Petro-Based Poly(vinyl alcohol). Environmental Science & Technology. 49(4). 2391-2397(2015).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Xu, H.L., Shen, L., Xu, L. and Yang*, Y.Q. Controlled delivery of hollow corn protein nanoparticles via non-toxic crosslinking: in vivo and drug loading study. Biomedical Microdevices. 17(1):8, 8 pages (2015).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Ye, T., Wang, B.J., Liu, J., Chen, J.G., Yang*, Y.Q. Quantitative Analysis of Citric Acid/Sodium Hypophosphite Modified Cotton by HPLC and Conductometric Titration. Carbohydrate Polymers. 121. 92-98(2015).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Liu, L.Y., Chen, Z.Z., Wang, B.J., and Yang*, Y.Q. Improving wet strength of soy protein films using Oxidized Sucrose. Journal of Applied Polymer Science. 132(7):41473 (7 pgs) (2015).


Progress 10/01/13 to 09/30/14

Outputs
Target Audience: Researchers, engineers, producers and policy makers in textiles, agriculture, biological engineering, sustainable studies, polymers, materials and biomaterials. Changes/Problems: No major changes to the objectives and approaches in the original proposals What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? We have made novel biocomposites reinforced with nonwoven mats of fibers from agricultural wastes such as cotton bark, and matrix materials such as feather. We have made theomoplastics from grafted feathers, starch, soyprotein, lignin, and sorghum distillers grain. We have developed novel 3D nonwoven scaffolds from soyprotein and feather keratin for tissue engineering applications. We have developed textile fibers from feather and waste wool. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? We have reported our findings 9 times at national and international conferences, including one invited speech to the International Conference on Engineering Science and Technology 2014 in China, co-organized by the Chinese Academy of Engineering, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and International Council of Academies of Engineering and Technological Sciences. Our researches on biofibers were made into a video story by Gary Hochman of NET television for QUEST Nebraska and accessible at http://science.kqed.org/quest/video/farm-waste-fashionistas/. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Continue our work on the objectives, and have major efforts on developing biofibers from feathers and agricultrual wastes, and developing environmentally responsible and sustainable chemicals and processes for textile materials and technology.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? We continue to work on improving properties of polylactide from the molecular level via the study of PLLA-PDLA interlocked structure and their nanocomposites for the better applications of PLA in textiles and plastics industry. We have focused on studying the steam flash-explosion to extract biofibers from cotton stalks with high aspect ratios for textiles and composites uses. We have focused on chemical grafting of proteins, and polysaccharides to turn these biopolymers into thermoplastics for industrial applications. One of the major breakthroughs this year was our achievement in dissolving highly crosslinked proteins such as keratin, camelina and sorghum proteins and turn them into water stable fibers and films with good mechanical properties via controlled de-crosslinking and disentanglement. The other breakthrough is the development of a novel dry-electrospinning technology for the making of 3D randomly oriented ultrafine fibers materials, which could be used effectively for cartilage repairmen and have potential of being a major electrospinning method. Change in knowledge We, the first time in the world, have demonstrated that agricultural wastes such as feathers could be used to make fibers for textiles and medical applications. We, the first time in the world, have developed 3-dimentionally and randomly oriented ultrafine fiber structures through simple and highly productive dry-electrospinning. Such materials have excellent stem cell attachment, proliferation and differentiation. We, the first time in the world, have demonstrated that proteins from agricultural wastes, such as feathers, and byproducts, such as distillers grains, could be turned to size materials to substitute PVA with excellent performance properties and biodegradability. Change in actions and conditions Our findings continue to provide important information to researchers and industries for selecting the appropriate renewable resources and application conditions for the development of fibrous materials and non-woven technologies in textiles, composites and medical industries. Our researches on biofibers, in general, allows us the leading position in the area. This provides us with funds for our graduate education and for our continuing researches. Our researches attract industries to contactUNL's Office of TechnologyDevelopment for technology transfers. Our researches on the biofibers provide opportunities for Nebraska to add billions of dollars to its economy, add jobs, and for the textile and materials industries to decrease their dependence on petroleum, andincrease their sustainability.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: -Xu, H., Ma, Z., and Yang, Y. Controlled in vivo Biodistribution of Zein Nanoparticles with Crosslinking. 248th ACS National Meeting & Exposition, San Francisco, CA, United States, August 10-14, 2014, PMSE-477. (poster) -Ma, Z., Pan, G., Huang, Y., Xu, H., and Yang, Y. Tetramethylammonium Hydroxide Treated Cornhusk Fibers for Potential Industrial Applications. 248th ACS National Meeting & Exposition, San Francisco, CA, United States, August 10-14, 2014, I&EC-63. -Zhao, Y., Yang, Y. Acrylic Acid Grafted Soy Proteins as Warp Sizing Agents to Replace Poly(vinyl) Alcohol. 248th ACS National Meeting & Exposition, San Francisco, CA, United States, August 10-14, 2014, AGFD -137. -Zhao, Y., Pan, G., Yang, Y. Composites for Furniture and Construction Industries from Discarded Carpets. 248th ACS National Meeting & Exposition, San Francisco, CA, United States, August 10-14, 2014, I&EC-97. -Canisag, H., and Yang, Y. Crosslinking of Starch Films with A Bio-based Crosslinker. 248th ACS National Meeting & Exposition, San Francisco, CA, United States, August 10-14, 2014, AGFD-138. -Reddy, N., Zhang, Y., Pan, G. and Yang, Y., Developing sustainable & green warp sizing agents from corn Distillers Dried Grains. 9th Corn Utilization and Technology Conference, Louisville, Kentucky June 2-4, 2014 (poster). -Ma, Z., Huang, Y., Pan, G., Xu, H. and Yang, Y., Chemical & biological treated cornhusk fibers for potential textile applications. 9th Corn Utilization and Technology Conference, Louisville, Kentucky June 2-4, 2014 (poster). -Xu, H., Reddy, N., Ma, Z. and Yang, Y., Potential of zein nanoparticles for biomedical applications: in vitro and in vivo studies. 9th Corn Utilization and Technology Conference, Louisville, Kentucky June 2-4, 2014 (poster). -Yang, Y. Agricultural Wastes and Byproducts for the Sustainable Growth of Textile Industry. Environment and Green Development Session. International Conference on Engineering Science and Technology 2014 (ICEST 2014, Engineering and the Future of Humankind). June 2-3, 2014. Beijing, China. Co-Organized by the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and International Council of Academies of Engineering and Technological Sciences (CAETS). Invited speech.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: 1. Hou, X., Sun, F., Zhang, L., Luo, J., Lu, D., and Yang, Y. Chemical-free extraction of cotton stalk bark fibers by steam flash explosion. BioResources. 9(4) 6950-6967(2014). 2. Hou, X., Sun, F., Yan, D., Xu, H., Dong, Z., Li, Q., and Yang*, Y. Preparation of Lightweight Polypropylene Composites Reinforced by Cotton Stalk Fibers from Combined Steam Flash-Explosion and Alkaline Treatment. Journal of Cleaner Production. 83. 454-462(2014). 3. Dong, Z., Hou, X., Sun, F., Zhang, L., and Yang*, Y. Textile grade long natural cellulose fibers from bark of cotton stalks using steam explosion as a pretreatment. Cellulose. 21(5) 3851-3860(2014). 4. Xu, H., Ma, Z. and Yang*, Y. Dissolution and Regeneration of Wool via Controlled Dis-integration and Dis-entanglement of Highly-Crosslinked Keratin. Journal of Materials Science. 49(21) 7513-7521(2014). 5. Reddy, N., Jiang, J., Yang*, Y., Biodegradable Composites Containing Chicken Feathers as Matrix and Jute Fibers as Reinforcement. Journal of Polymers and the Environment. 22(3) 310-317(2014). 6. Shi, Z., Reddy, N., Shen, L. Hou, X., and Yang*, Y. Grafting Soyprotein Isolates with Various Methacrylates for Thermoplastic Applications. Industrial Crops and Products. 60, 168-176(2014). 7. Xu, H., Cai, S. and Yang*, Y. Water-stable three dimensional ultrafine fibrous scaffolds from keratin for cartilage tissue engineering. Langmuir. 30(28), 8461-8470 (2014). 8. Xu, H., Cai, S., Sellers, A. and Yang*, Y. Electrospun ultrafine fibrous wheat glutenin scaffolds with three-dimensionally random organization and water stability for soft tissue engineering. Journal of Biotechnology.184. 179-186(2014). 9. Shi, Z., Reddy, N., Hou, X., and Yang*, Y. Tensile Properties of Thermoplastic Feather Films Grafted with Different Methacrylates. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering. 2(7), 1849-1856(2014). 10. Shi, Z., Reddy, N., Shen, L., Hou, X., and Yang*, Y. Effects of Monomers and Homopolymer Contents on the Dry and Wet Tensile Properties of Starch Films Grafted with Various Methacrylates. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 62(20), 4668-4676(2014).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: 11. Xu, H., and Yang*, Y. Controlled de-crosslinking and disentanglement of feather keratin for fiber preparation via a green process. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering. 2(6) 1404-1410(2014). 12. Xu, H., Cai, S., Sellers, A., and Yang*, Y. Intrinsically water-stable electrospun three-dimensional ultrafine fibrous soy protein scaffolds for soft tissue engineering using adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells. RSC Advances. 4 (30), 1545115457(2014). 13. Kang, Y., Chen, Z., Wang, B., and Yang*, Y. Synthesis and mechanical properties of thermoplastic films from lignin, sebacic acid and poly(ethylene glycol). Industrial Crops and Products. 56, 105-112(2014). 14. Hou, X., Xu, H., Shi, Z., Ge, M., Chen, L., Cao, X., and Yang*, Y. Hydrothermal pretreatment for the preparation of wool powders. Journal of Applied Polymer Science. 131(8), 40173 (10pgs) (2014). 15. Zhao, Y., Jiang, Q., Xu, H., Reddy, N., Xu, L., and Yang*, Y., Cytocompatible and water-stable camelina protein films for tissue engineering. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research: Part B - Applied Biomaterials. 102B(4), 729-736(2014). 16. Reddy, N., Chen, L., Zhang, Y., Yang*, Y., Reducing Environmental Pollution of the Textile Industry Using Keratin as Alternative Sizing Agent to Poly(vinyl alcohol). Journal of Cleaner Production. 65. 561-567(2014). 17. Jiang, Q., Xu, H., Cai, S. and Yang*, Y. Ultrafine fibrous gelatin scaffolds with deep cell infiltration mimicking 3D ECMs for soft tissue repair. Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Medicine. 25(7), 1789-1800(2014). 18. Reddy, N., Shi, Z., Temme, L., Xu, H., Xu, L., Hou, X., and Yang*, Y. Development and Characterization of Thermoplastic Films from Sorghum Distillers Dried Grains Grafted with Various Methacrylates. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 62(11), 2406-2411(2014). 19. Shi, X., Chen, Z., and Yang*, Y. Toughening of Poly(L-lactide) with Methyl MQ Silicone Resin. European Polymer Journal. 50 243248(2014).


Progress 01/01/13 to 09/30/13

Outputs
Target Audience: Researchers, engineers, producers and policy makers in textiles, agriculture, biological engineering, polymers, materials and biomaterials. Changes/Problems: A major problem is financial supports from USDA and other federal agencies. USDA had supported large projects only for several years, and has spent almost all money for biobased products on biofuels. We need supports from USDA to create jobs and additional values to agricultural states, and in return, will also add values to distillers grains, and therefore, support the biofuel industry. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Based on the efforts, NE organized a symposium for the CELL-Division (Division of Cellulose and Renewable Materials) titled ‘Light-Weight Materials from Biopolymers’ at the 246th American Chemical Society National Meeting, Indianapolis, IN, September 8-12, 2013. The symposium had 16 presentations in two sessions (morning-8 papers; afternoon-8 papers on September 9, 2013. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? A total of 14 refereed journal articles, a book chapter, and 9 refereed national/international conference papers/presentations were published/given to the communities of interests (see previous publication list). A total of ten invited talks were presented to Nebraska/US stakeholders, universities, and industries throughout the world (see below). -Yang, Y., Potential applications of co-products from biofuel industry. Frontiers in Bioproducts and Biofuels Symposium. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Research Fair. 8:30 am – 4:00 pm, Lincoln, NE. November 7, 2013. -Yang, Y., Successful Graduate Studies. The 14th Chemistry Festival of Donghua University, Donghua University, Shanghai, China. Oct. 29, 2013. 3-5 pm -Yang, Y., Feather keratin fibers and their potential applications. Keynote Speech. Taishan Academic Forum, October 26-28, 2013, Qingdao, Shandong, China. -Xu, H. and Yang, Y. Higher Value Products from Corn Stover. Corn Stover Processing Meeting. IANR. East Campus Union, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Oct. 18, 2013. (A meeting to discuss issues with stakeholders at Nebraska). -Yang, Y. Bio-based crosslinkers for starch. Mead Westvaco, Richmond, VA. Oct. 11, 2013. -Yang, Y., Non-Traditional Biofibers and Their Applications. Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian, Liaoning Province, China. June 28, 2013. -Yang, Y. Regenerated keratin fibers from chicken feather for textiles and tissue engineering. Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Hong Kong, China. June 24, 2013. -Yang, Y. Current and future eco-textiles: damage estimation, energy conservation, discharge reduction and technology substitution. Forum for strategic discussions on environmental inspection, precaution, and health assurance, Organized by the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology. Hefei, China, June 20-21, 2013. -Yang, Y. Introduction to Biotextiles and Researches on Biofibers, Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, Beijing, China. 1-3 pm, May 27, 2013. -Yang, Y., Hazard Identification and Substitution Technology of Textile Chemicals and Chemical Processes. Esquel Group, Gaoming, Guangdong, China. July 1, 2013. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? We will focus our researches on biofibers from lignocellulosics and proteins. Ligocellulosics will be used to develop natural fibers for textiles, and composites. Proteins, mainly those from plants and feathers will be used to make fibers for textiles and tissue engineering scaffolds. We will start focus on translational sciences and engineering, and will strengthen our collaborations with scientists in Nebraska and across the country.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1: To develop novel biobased polymeric materials To develop fibrous materials from cellulose in lignocellulosic agricultural byproducts for textile, composite and super-absorbent applications To develop fibrous materials from the proteins in the agricultural coproducts for textile and composite and medical applications To develop fibrous materials from synthetic biopolymers for textile and composite applications To develop biothermoplastics and thermosets from the carbohydrates and proteins in agricultural byproducts and coproducts for textile and composite applications NE has worked on developing fibers and thermoplastics from agricultural byproducts and co-products for textiles, composites and medical applications. This year, we have developed thermoplastic films from peanut meals, chicken feathers, and acetylated rice straws for potential uses in composites, films, and other materials. We initiated an approach of using proteins and distillers grains as textile sizes to substitute PVA and other petrobased nonbiodegradable sizing materials. We collaborated with Chinese scientists and developed high modulus silicates enhanced PLA films. We also characterized some unusual natural silk fibers produced by insects in the United States for potential textile and medical applications. Objective 3: To develop and evaluate biobased products for health and safety applications a. Understand the potential of plant proteins as biomaterials for medical applications. NE has worked on developing and evaluating proteins and PLA as biomaterials for medical applications. This year, we have developed water stable collagen nanofibers as tissue engineering scaffolds, and developed a new method for electrospinning 3 dimensionally randomly oriented submicron fibers for medical applications. Based on the efforts mainly from Tasks 1 and 2, NE organized a symposium for the CELL-Division (Division of Cellulose and Renewable Materials) titled ‘Light-Weight Materials from Biopolymers’ at the 246th American Chemical Society National Meeting, Indianapolis, IN, September 8-12, 2013. The symposium had 16 presentations in two sessions (morning-8 papers; afternoon-8papers on September 9, 2013. Objective 4: To develop and evaluate methods to remove dyes and finishing chemicals from textile waste water We have developed biodegradable hollow nano-particles from zein and have demonstrated that these particles have extremely high sorption capacity to dyes and could be used for dye removal from wastewater.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Yang, Y. and Reddy*, N., Potential of using plant proteins and chicken feathers for cotton warp sizing. Cellulose. 20(4), 2163-2174(2013)
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Chen, L., Reddy, N., and Yang*, Y. Soyproteins as Environmentally Friendly Sizing Agents to Replace Poly(vinyl alcohol). Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 20(9), 6085-6095 (2013)
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Reddy, N., and Yang*, Y. Thermoplastic Films from Plant Proteins. Journal of Applied Polymer Science. 130(2), 729-738(2013)
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Yang, Y. and Reddy*, N., Utilizing Discarded Plastic Bags as Matrix Material for Composites Reinforced with Chicken Feathers. Journal of Applied Polymer Science. 130(1) 307-312(2013)
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Reddy, N., Jiang, Q., Jin, E., Shi, Z., Hou, X., and Yang*, Y. Bio-Thermoplastics from Grafted Chicken Feathers for Potential Biomedical Applications. Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces. 110, 51-58(2013)
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Xu, H., Zhang, Y., Jiang, Q., Reddy, N., and Yang*, Y. Biodegradable Hollow Zein Nanoparticles for Removal of Reactive Dyes from Wastewater. Journal of Environmental Management. 125, 33-40(2013)
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Chen, L., Reddy, N., and Yang*, Y. Remediation of Environmental Pollution by Substituting Poly(vinyl alcohol) with Biodegradable Warp Size from Wheat Gluten. Environmental Science & Technology. 47(9) 4505-4511(2013)
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Reddy, N., Jiang, Q., and Yang*, Y. Properties and Potential Medical Applications of Silk Fibers Produced by Rothischildia lebeau. Journal of Biomaterials Science: Polymer Edition. 24(7) 820-830(2013)
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Reddy, N., Jiang, Q., and Yang*, Y. Investigation of the Properties and Potential Medical Applications of Natural Silk Fibers Produced by Eupackardia calleta. Journal of Biomaterials Science: Polymer Edition. 24(4) 460-469(2013)
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Jiang, Q., Reddy, N., Zhang, S., Roscioli, N., and Yang*, Y. Water Stable Electrospun Collagen Fibers from a Non-Toxic Solvent and Crosslinking System. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research: Part A. 101A(5), 1237-1247(2013). Cover Report.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Reddy, N., Chen, L., and Yang*, Y. Biothermoplastics from Hydrolyzed and Citric Acid Crosslinked Chicken Feathers. Materials Science & Engineering C-Materials for Biological Applications. 33(3) 1203-1208(2013)
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Reddy, N., Zhao, Y., and Yang*, Y., Structure and Properties of Cocoons and Silk Fibers Produced by Attacus atlas. Journal of Polymers and the Environment. 21(1) 16-23(2013).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Cai, S., Xu, H., Jiang, Q., and Yang*, Y."Novel 3D Electrospun Scaffolds with Fibers Oriented Randomly and Evenly in Three Dimensions to Closely Mimic the Unique Architectures of Extracellular Matrices in Soft Tissues: Fabrication and Mechanism Study". Langmuir. 29(7), 2311-2318(2013).
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Reddy, N., Chen, L., and Yang*, Y. Thermoplastic Films from Peanut Proteins Extracted from Peanut Meal. Industrial Crops and Products. 43, 159-164(2013).
  • Type: Book Chapters Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Xu, Helan; Yang*, Yiqi. Chapter 8. Bioplastics from Waste Materials and Low-Value Byproducts, in Degradable Polymers and Materials: Principles and Practice (2nd Edition), Kishan Khemani and Carmen Scholz, ed. pp 113140. Chapter DOI: 10.1021/bk-2012-1114.ch008. ACS Symposium Series, Vol. 1114. ISBN13: 9780841228221 eISBN: 9780841228238. Publication Date (Web): November 14, 2012. Book Publication Date: April(2013). Copyright � 2012 American Chemical Society
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Xu, H., Reddy, N., and Yang, Y. Potential of PEGylated zein nanoparticles for biomedical applications: In vitro and in vivo studies. 246th ACS National Meeting & Exposition, Indianapolis, IN, United States, September 8-12, 2013 (2013), CELL-16
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Hou, X., Yan, D., Sun, F., Cheng, Y., and Yang, Y. Effect of pre-treatment for cotton stalk bark on mechanical properties of lightweight polypropylene composites. 246th ACS National Meeting & Exposition, Indianapolis, IN, United States, September 8-12, 2013 (2013), CELL-19.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Shen, L., Xu, H. and Yang, Y., Quantitative analysis of reaction between gliadin and citric acid under weak acidic and weak alkaline conditions. 246th ACS National Meeting & Exposition, Indianapolis, IN, United States, September 8-12, 2013 (2013), CELL-20.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Jiang, J., Reddy, N., and Yang, Y., Biocomposites developed using poultry feathers as matrix and reinforcement. 246th ACS National Meeting & Exposition, Indianapolis, IN, United States, September 8-12, 2013 (2013), CELL-21.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Xu, H., and Yang, Y., Novel regenerated protein fibers from chicken feather keratin. 246th ACS National Meeting & Exposition, Indianapolis, IN, United States, September 8-12, 2013 (2013), CELL-23.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Jiang, J., Xu, H., and Yang, Y., Water-stable 3D soyprotein scaffolds for soft tissue regeneration. 246th ACS National Meeting & Exposition, Indianapolis, IN, United States, September 8-12, 2013 (2013), CELL-24
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Huang, Y., Xu, H., and Yang, Y., Potential of 3D porous scaffolds from feather keratin for cartilage repair. 246th ACS National Meeting & Exposition, Indianapolis, IN, United States, September 8-12, 2013 (2013), CELL-27.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Temme, L., Reddy, N., Shi, Z., and Yang, Y., Properties and potential applications of components extracted from sorghum distillers dried grains. 246th ACS National Meeting & Exposition, Indianapolis, IN, United States, September 8-12, 2013 (2013), CELL-28.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Pan, G., Hou, X., and Yang, Y., Preparation and mechanical properties of poly(lactic acid)/wheat straw fibers composites. 246th ACS National Meeting & Exposition, Indianapolis, IN, United States, September 8-12, 2013 (2013), CELL-29.
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: ShaoBo Cai MS Thesis. Electrospun plant protein scaffolds with fibers oriented randomly and evenly in three-dimensions for soft tissue engineering applications 2013.
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Yue Zhang. MS thesis. Corn Distillers Dried Grains as Environmentally Friendly Sizing Agent' 2013