Controlled De-Cross-Linking and Disentanglement of Feather Keratin for Fiber Preparation via a Novel Process

Pure protein fibers were fabricated from chicken feathers via a potentially green process. In the last several decades, efforts have been made to produce keratin-based industrial products, especially fibers. However, the methods of producing keratin fibers directly from chicken feathers could not be repeated. In this research, protein fibers from chicken feathers were developed using chemicals that could be either derived from renewable resources or facilely recycled. Backbones of keratin were preserved after cleavage of disulfide bonds using cysteine. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was applied to dissolve keratin for spinning. Increasing SDS concentration intensified the ordered conformation of keratin, first increased and then decreased the viscosity of solution, suggesting continuous disentanglement of keratin molecules and enhancement in inter- and intramolecular electrical repulsion. Diameters of the obtained fibers as small as 20 μm also proved good drawability of the keratin solution. Change in crystallinity indices was found to be consistent with that of tensile properties of the keratin fibers. In summary, regenerated fibers were successfully produced as linear keratin with preserved backbones that could be untangled and aligned in a controlled manner

EFFECTIVE HAIR STYLING COMPOSITIONS AND PROCESSES

This disclosure relates to hair styling compositions and processes , and more particularly to compositions for disentangling or crosslinking hair that are useful in hair styling processes

New Mixture Additives for Sustainable Bituminous Pavements

In an effort to improve mechanical properties of asphalt concrete, an exploratory research using mixture additives was attempted. Two different types of additives on two material scales were used: asphalt concrete (AC) level and binder level. At the start of this study, the effect of natural cornhusk fibers on the resistance of two types of AC mixtures on cracking were tested for hot-mix asphalt (HMA) and cold-mix asphalt (CMA). The results showed slight improvements in cracking resistance in cornhusk reinforced HMA, and in the case of the CMA, marshal flow. Overall, based on the test results, cornhusk-reinforced HMA and CMA may not significantly improve critical mechanical properties given the added cost of fibers. In addition, cornhusk fibers proved difficult to properly disperse in HMA and CMA when mixed in laboratory. However, when fibers were mixed in an asphalt production plant, the fibers appeared to become more distributed. The second part of this study, two different types of carbon nano-fillers (F1 and F2) with different surface properties and sizes were added to two different asphalt binders: the base binder and the polymer modified binder. Also, mastic samples were prepared by replacing parts of the limestone filler by the carbon nano-fillers. It was observed that the nanoscale additives interacted with the binder quite differently. Additive F1 did not show a drastic improvement in the mechanical properties, fatigue resistance, and rutting resistance of the base and polymer modified binder at the mastic and the binder scale; however, additive F2 improved all the above- mentioned properties. From the experimental investigation, it can be inferred that part of the polymer modification can be replaced by additive F2. Although additive F1 showed a minimal change, it could be useful in improving the secondary application of the pavement, such as the electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and absorption of radiation for energy storage, which was not the scope of this study but appears worthy to investigate

A Sustainable Slashing Industry Using Biodegradable Sizes from Modified Soy Protein To Replace Petro-Based Poly(Vinyl Alcohol)

Biodegradable sizing agents from triethanolamine (TEA) modified soy protein could substitute poly(vinyl alcohol)(PVA) sizes for high-speed weaving of polyester and polyester/cotton yarns to substantially decrease environmental pollution and impel sustainability of textile industry. Nonbiodegradable PVA sizes are widely used and mainly contribute to high chemical oxygen demand (COD) in textile effluents. It has not been possible to effectively degrade, reuse or replace PVA sizes so far. Soy protein with good biodegradability showed potential as warp sizes in our previous studies. However, soy protein sizes lacked film flexibility and adhesion for required high-speed weaving. Additives with multiple hydroxyl groups, nonlinear molecule, and electric charge could physically modify secondary structure of soy protein and lead to about 23.6% and 43.3% improvement in size adhesion and ability of hair coverage comparing to unmodified soy protein. Industrial weaving results showed TEA-soy protein had relative weaving efficiency 3% and 10% higher than PVA and chemically modified starch sizes on polyester/cotton fabrics, and had relative weaving efficiency similar to PVA on polyester fabrics, although with 3− 6% lower add-on. In addition, TEA-soy sizes had a BOD5/COD ratio of 0.44, much higher than 0.03 for PVA, indicating that TEA-soy sizes were easily biodegradable in activated sludge

A Sustainable Slashing Industry Using Biodegradable Sizes from Modified Soy Protein To Replace Petro-Based Poly(Vinyl Alcohol)

Biodegradable sizing agents from triethanolamine (TEA) modified soy protein could substitute poly(vinyl alcohol)(PVA) sizes for high-speed weaving of polyester and polyester/cotton yarns to substantially decrease environmental pollution and impel sustainability of textile industry. Nonbiodegradable PVA sizes are widely used and mainly contribute to high chemical oxygen demand (COD) in textile effluents. It has not been possible to effectively degrade, reuse or replace PVA sizes so far. Soy protein with good biodegradability showed potential as warp sizes in our previous studies. However, soy protein sizes lacked film flexibility and adhesion for required high-speed weaving. Additives with multiple hydroxyl groups, nonlinear molecule, and electric charge could physically modify secondary structure of soy protein and lead to about 23.6% and 43.3% improvement in size adhesion and ability of hair coverage comparing to unmodified soy protein. Industrial weaving results showed TEA-soy protein had relative weaving efficiency 3% and 10% higher than PVA and chemically modified starch sizes on polyester/cotton fabrics, and had relative weaving efficiency similar to PVA on polyester fabrics, although with 3− 6% lower add-on. In addition, TEA-soy sizes had a BOD5/COD ratio of 0.44, much higher than 0.03 for PVA, indicating that TEA-soy sizes were easily biodegradable in activated sludge

Intrinsically Water-Stable Keratin Nanoparticles and Their \u3ci\u3ein Vivo\u3c/i\u3e Biodistribution for Targeted Delivery

Highly water-stable nanoparticles of around 70 nm and capable of distributing with high uptake in certain organs of mice were developed from feather keratin. Nanoparticles could provide novel veterinary diagnostics and therapeutics to boost efficiency in identification and treatment of livestock diseases to improve protein supply and ensure safety and quality of food. Nanoparticles could penetrate easily into cells and small capillaries, surpass detection of the immune system, and reach targeted organs because of their nanoscale sizes. Proteins with positive and negative charges and hydrophobic domains enable loading of various types of drugs and, hence, are advantageous over synthetic polymers and carbohydrates for drug delivery. In this research, the highly cross-linked keratin was processed into nanoparticles with diameters of 70 nm under mild conditions. Keratin nanoparticles were found supportive to cell growth via an in vitro study and highly stable after stored in physiological environments for up to 7 days. At 4 days after injection, up to 18% of the cells in kidneys and 4% of the cells in liver of mice were penetrated by the keratin nanoparticles

New Mixture Additives for Sustainable Bituminous Pavements

In an effort to improve mechanical properties of asphalt concrete, an exploratory research using mixture additives was attempted. Two different types of additives on two material scales were used: asphalt concrete (AC) level and binder level. At the start of this study, the effect of natural cornhusk fibers on the resistance of two types of AC mixtures on cracking were tested for hot-mix asphalt (HMA) and cold-mix asphalt (CMA). The results showed slight improvements in cracking resistance in cornhusk reinforced HMA, and in the case of the CMA, marshal flow. Overall, based on the test results, cornhusk-reinforced HMA and CMA may not significantly improve critical mechanical properties given the added cost of fibers. In addition, cornhusk fibers proved difficult to properly disperse in HMA and CMA when mixed in laboratory. However, when fibers were mixed in an asphalt production plant, the fibers appeared to become more distributed. The second part of this study, two different types of carbon nano-fillers (F1 and F2) with different surface properties and sizes were added to two different asphalt binders: the base binder and the polymer modified binder. Also, mastic samples were prepared by replacing parts of the limestone filler by the carbon nano-fillers. It was observed that the nanoscale additives interacted with the binder quite differently. Additive F1 did not show a drastic improvement in the mechanical properties, fatigue resistance, and rutting resistance of the base and polymer modified binder at the mastic and the binder scale; however, additive F2 improved all the above- mentioned properties. From the experimental investigation, it can be inferred that part of the polymer modification can be replaced by additive F2. Although additive F1 showed a minimal change, it could be useful in improving the secondary application of the pavement, such as the electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and absorption of radiation for energy storage, which was not the scope of this study but appears worthy to investigate

Acoustic Droplet Ejection Enabled Automated Reaction Scouting

Miniaturization and acceleration of synthetic chemistry are critically important for rapid property optimization in pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and materials research and development. However, in most laboratories organic synthesis is still performed on a slow, sequential, and material-consuming scale and not validated for multiple substrate combinations. Herein, we introduce fast and touchless acoustic droplet ejection (ADE) technology into small-molecule chemistry to transfer building blocks by nL droplets and to scout a newly designed isoquinoline synthesis. With each compound in a discrete well, 384 random derivatives were synthesized in an automated fashion, and their quality was monitored by SFC-MS and TLC-UV-MS analysis. We exemplify a pipeline of fast and efficient nmol scouting to mmol- and mol-scale synthesis for the discovery of a useful novel reaction with great scope

Water-Stable Three-Dimensional Ultrafine Fibrous Scaffolds from Keratin for Cartilage Tissue Engineering

Intrinsically water-stable scaffolds composed of ultrafine keratin fibers oriented randomly and evenly in three dimensions were electrospun for cartilage tissue engineering. Keratin has been recognized as a biomaterial that could substantially support the growth and development of multiple cell lines. Besides, three-dimensional (3D) ultrafine fibrous structures were preferred in tissue engineering due to their structural similarity to native extracellular matrices in soft tissues. Recently, we have developed a nontraditional approach to developing 3D fibrous scaffolds from alcohol-soluble corn protein, zein, and verified their structural advantages in tissue engineering. However, keratin with highly cross-linked molecular structures could not be readily dissolved in common solvents for fiber spinning, which required the remarkable drawability of solution. So far, 3D fibrous scaffolds from pure keratin for biomedical applications have not been reported. In this research, the highly cross-linked keratin from chicken feathers was de-cross-linked and disentangled into linear and aligned molecules with preserved molecular weights, forming highly stretchable spinning dope. The solution was readily electrospun into scaffolds with ultrafine keratin fibers oriented randomly in three dimensions. Due to the highly cross-linked molecular structures, keratin scaffolds showed intrinsic water stability. Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells could penetrate much deeper, proliferate, and chondrogenically differentiate remarkably better on the 3D keratin scaffolds than on 2D PLA fibrous scaffolds, 3D soy protein fibrous scaffolds, or 3D commercial nonfibrous scaffolds. In summary, the electrospun 3D ultrafine fibrous scaffolds from keratin could be promising candidates for cartilage tissue engineering

Lightweight Polypropylene Composites Reinforced by Long Switchgrass Stems

Switchgrass (SG) stems with lengths up to 10 cm have been used as reinforcement to make lightweight composites with polypropylene (PP) webs. The long SG stems, with simple cut or split and without chemical treatment, were used directly in the composites. Utilizing SG stems for composites not only increases the values of SG but also provides a green, sustainable and biodegradable material for the composites industry. Lightweight composites are preferred, especially for automotive applications due to the potential saving in energy. In this research, the effects of manufacturing parameters on the properties of composites have been studied. Although the tensile properties of SG stem are significantly worse than jute fiber, SG stem with low bulk density is found to better reinforce the lightweight composites. Compared with the jute-PP composites of the same density (0.47 g/cm3), composites reinforced by the split SG stems have 56% higher flexural strength, 19% higher modulus of elasticity, 15% higher impact resistance, 63% higher Young’s modulus, 52% lower tensile strength, and similar sound absorption property. The SG-PP composites with optimized properties have the potential to be used for industrial applications such as the support layers in automotive interiors, office panels and ceiling tiles