Author
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Selling, Gordon |
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Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 4/7/2014 Publication Date: 5/7/2014 Citation: Selling, G.W. 2014. Improved corn protein based articles. Meeting Abstract. Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Developing higher value uses for zein (corn protein), a potential major co-product of the bio-ethanol industry, will improve the economics of this business. Historically, zein was predominantly used in the textile fiber industry. Unfortunately the techniques used at that time to modify the zein cannot be easily used today. Improved understandings of the zein protein and improved derivitization chemistry are needed in order to successfully market a zein based product. Novel techniques have been developed to characterize zein to better insure product consistency. New chemistries, utilizing safer reagents than those used in the 1940’s, have been developed that provide zein articles with higher value. Zein fibers were produced, using electrospinning, to evaluate these new chemistries. Various routes have been developed to provide zein fibers with improved tensile strength and solvent resistance. These reactions have been followed using rheological techniques in order to better define the chemistry and processing window. The relationship between solution viscosity, fiber diameter and solvent durability was evaluated. |
