|
|
|
 |
When the heat's on, permanent-press cotton may reveal how it got that
way. Some permanent-press treatments are formaldehyde-based, while others
rely on non-formaldehyde agents such as polycarboxylic acids. A piece
of equipment called a "thermal gravimetric analyzer" helps tell
the difference. ARS researchers have adapted this standard piece of research
equipment to find out what kinds of permanent press treatments were used
on a fabric. Garment companies could use this analysis to decide whether
the cloth they buy meets their requirements. Another potential use: testing
international shipments of cotton fabric. The analyzer gradually heats bits
of cotton fabric at rising temperatures. The cotton cellulose then chars
away. But the agents used to make the cotton fabric dry smoothly have different
characteristics, such as melting points that can be charted by time and
temperature. In the case of formaldehyde-based finishes, researchers say
it's even possible to estimate finish concentration and whether certain
additives were used in the treatment solution.
Southern Regional Research Center,
New Orleans, LA
Brenda J. Trask-Morrell, (504) 286-4532
Bacteria that ferment agricultural byproducts produce compounds that
could replace alginates, used as thickeners and gelling agents by food and
nonfood industries. Commercial alginates come from seaweed, but their
composition varies depending on what type of seaweed, as well as where and
when the seaweed was harvested. ARS researchers have shown that several
plant-associated bacteria, harmless to humans and animals, produce alginates
with stable compositions. These bacteria can be commercially produced via
fermentation.
Eastern Regional Research Center,
Philadelphia, PA
William Fett, (215) 233-6418
New forms of commercially available gellan gum could play a part in a
wide range of products from drug encapsulating agents to controlled-release
fertilizers. Gellan gum's usefulness has been limited because it wouldn't
dissolve in water at room temperature. It's been used mostly as a gelling
agent for plant and cell tissue culture media, replacing traditional agar.
A new procedure from ARS scientists solves the problem by removing impurities
in the gum. The new water-soluble gums could be used to encapsulate heat-sensitive
materials such as enzymes and cells. The same process that takes out impurities
also eliminates most of the gum's contaminating phosphorus, which had hampered
some scientific studies with plant roots and mycorrhizal fungi.
Eastern Regional Research Center,
Philadelphia, PA
Landis W. Doner, (215) 233-6422
Bubbling nitrogen and changing clay composition have more than doubled
potential production of monoestolides, industrial compounds made from meadowfoam
and other vegetable oils. These compounds could be used in biodegradable
lubricants, cosmetics and detergents. In 1991, ARS researchers patented
the process for making monoestolides from vegetable oils' fatty acids. At
that time, the maximum yield of monoestolides equaled only 15 percent of
the volume of the starting ingredients. Recent studies found that changing
the clay's surface made it a better catalyst, and injecting bubbles of nitrogen
boosted yields to 35 percent.
New Crops Research, Peoria,
IL
Selim M. Erhan, (309) 681-6213
Return
to Quarterly Reports
|
|
|
|
|
Last Modified: 02/11/2002
|
|
Printable Version
E-mail this page
