@article{kwon_zambrano_pawlak_ford_venditti_2024, title={Aquatic biodegradation of poly(β-hydroxybutyrate) in polylactic acid and maleic anhydride blended fibers}, volume={31}, ISSN={["1572-8935"]}, DOI={10.1007/s10965-024-03930-8}, number={4}, journal={JOURNAL OF POLYMER RESEARCH}, author={Kwon, Soojin and Zambrano, Marielis C. and Pawlak, Joel J. and Ford, Ericka and Venditti, Richard A.}, year={2024}, month={Apr} }
 @misc{frazier_vivas_azuaje_vera_pifano_forfora_jameel_ford_pawlak_venditti_et al._2024, title={Beyond cotton and polyester: An evaluation of emerging feedstocks and conversion methods for the future of fashion industry}, volume={9}, ISSN={["2369-9698"]}, DOI={10.1016/j.jobab.2024.01.001}, abstractNote={As the global population grows, the demand for textiles is increasing rapidly. However, this puts immense pressure on manufacturers to produce more fiber. While synthetic fibers can be produced cheaply, they have a negative impact on the environment. On the other hand, fibers from wool, sisal, fique, wood pulp (viscose), and man-made cellulose fibers (MMCFs) from cotton cannot alone meet the growing fiber demand without major stresses on land, water, and existing markets using these materials. With a greater emphasis on transparency and circular economy practices, there is a need to consider natural non-wood alternative sources for MMCFs to supplement other fiber types. However, introducing new feedstocks with different compositions may require different biomass conversion methods. Therefore, based on existing work, this review addresses the technical feasibility of various alternative feedstocks for conversion to textile-grade fibers. First, alternative feedstocks are introduced, and then conventional (dissolving pulp) and emerging (fibrillated cellulose and recycled material) conversion technologies are evaluated to help select the most suitable and promising processes for these emerging alternative sources of cellulose. It is important to note that for alternative feedstocks to be adopted on a meaningful scale, high biomass availability and proximity of conversion facilities are critical factors. In North America, soybean, wheat, rice, sorghum, and sugarcane residues are widely available and most suitable for conventional conversion through various dissolving pulp production methods (pre-hydrolysis kraft, acid sulfite, soda, SO2-ethanol-water, and potassium hydroxide) or by emerging cellulose fibrillation methods. While dissolving pulp conversion is well-established, fibrillated cellulose methods could be beneficial from cost, efficiency, and environmental perspectives. Thus, the authors strongly encourage more work in this growing research area. However, conducting thorough cost and sustainability assessments is important to determine the best feedstock and technology combinations.}, number={2}, journal={JOURNAL OF BIORESOURCES AND BIOPRODUCTS}, author={Frazier, Ryen M. and Vivas, Keren A. and Azuaje, Ivana and Vera, Ramon and Pifano, Alonzo and Forfora, Naycari and Jameel, Hasan and Ford, Ericka and Pawlak, Joel J. and Venditti, Richard and et al.}, year={2024}, month={May}, pages={130–159} }
 @article{tahir_li_moore_ford_theyson_seyam_2024, title={Development of Eco-Friendly Soy Protein Fiber: A Comprehensive Critical Review and Prospects}, volume={12}, ISSN={2079-6439}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/fib12040031}, DOI={10.3390/fib12040031}, abstractNote={In the first half of the twentieth century, scientific communities worldwide endeavored to diminish dependence on expensive and scarce animal fibers like wool and silk. Their efforts focused on developing regenerated protein fibers, including soy, zein, and casein, to provide comparable benefits to natural protein fibers, such as lustrous appearance, warmth, and a soft feel. The popularity and cost-effectiveness of mass-produced petroleum-based synthetic polymer fibers during World War II diminished interest in developing soy protein fiber. Realizing the ecological degradation caused by fossil fuels and their derived products, a renewed drive exists to explore bio-based waste materials like soy protein. As a fast-growing crop, soy provides abundant byproducts with opportunities for waste valorization. The soybean oil extraction process produces soy protein as a byproduct, which is a highly tunable biopolymer. Various functional groups within the soy protein structure enable it to acquire different valuable properties. This review critically examines scholarly publications addressing soy protein fiber developmental history, soy protein microstructure modification methods, and soy protein fiber spinning technologies. Additionally, we provide our scientific-based views relevant to overcoming the limitations of previous work and share prospects to make soy protein byproducts viable textile fibers.}, number={4}, journal={Fibers}, publisher={MDPI AG}, author={Tahir, Muneeb and Li, Ang and Moore, Marguerite and Ford, Ericka and Theyson, Thomas and Seyam, Abdel-Fattah M.}, year={2024}, month={Mar}, pages={31} }
 @article{kwon_zambrano_pawlak_ford_venditti_2023, title={Aquatic Biodegradation of Poly(beta-Hydroxybutyrate) and Polypropylene Blends with Compatibilizer and the Generation of Micro- and Nano-Plastics on Biodegradation}, volume={4}, ISSN={["1572-8919"]}, DOI={10.1007/s10924-023-02832-y}, journal={JOURNAL OF POLYMERS AND THE ENVIRONMENT}, author={Kwon, Soojin and Zambrano, Marielis C. C. and Pawlak, Joel J. J. and Ford, Ericka and Venditti, Richard A. A.}, year={2023}, month={Apr} }
 @article{park_banerjee_jin_li_beck_purser_ford_2023, title={Organophosphate-Cyclodextrin Inclusion Complex for Flame Retardancy in Doped Cellulose Acetate Butyrate Melt-Spun Fibers}, ISSN={["1520-5045"]}, DOI={10.1021/acs.iecr.3c00712}, abstractNote={Organophosphates are widely used flame retardants (FR) in everyday applications, and their leaching over time is a gaining concern. In this research, 9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO) was chosen as a representative organophosphate FR to examine inclusion complex (IC) formation with γ-cyclodextrins (γ-CD) to enhance char formation as well as prevent the unnecessary release of toxic FR chemicals. The addition of ionic salts, sodium chloride (NaCl), and calcium chloride (CaCl2) during the formation increased the yield of IC crystals by up to 50%. However, perfect crystals were formed only when pure IC was formed, devoid of only metal crystals. Continuous melt spinning of cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) is practically very difficult in the presence of incompatible DOPO in the system. The formed IC was compatible with biopolymer CAB due to hydroxyl groups from γ-cyclodextrin at the periphery. CAB/IC fibers were melt-spun alongside reference pure CAB and CAB/CD fibers. CAB was found to form complexation with CD in the absence of DOPO in the cavity, as corroborated by FTIR and tensile properties. Furthermore, the response to flame was noted as compared to reference pure CAB and CAB/CD fibers. CAB/IC was found to have self-extinguishing behavior via the formation of a char layer even at ∼0.8 wt % DOPO fraction in the fiber.}, journal={INDUSTRIAL & ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY RESEARCH}, author={Park, Yaewon and Banerjee, Debjyoti and Jin, Soo Ah and Li, Shanshan and Beck, Susan and Purser, Lauren and Ford, Ericka}, year={2023}, month={Jul} }
 @article{li_biswas_ford_2022, title={Dual roles of sodium polyacrylate in alginate fiber wet-spinning: Modify the solution rheology and strengthen the fiber}, volume={297}, ISSN={["1879-1344"]}, DOI={10.1016/j.carbpol.2022.120001}, abstractNote={Limitations to the scaling of sodium alginate (SA) fibers by wet spinning and for commercial applications are the high spinning dope viscosity and low fiber mechanical performance. In this study, the viscosities of SA spinning dopes dramatically reduced to an order of magnitude lower while the maximum spin draw ratio increased from 1 to 6 as sodium polyacrylate (PAAS) loading increased up to 20 %. However, distinct to a simple plasticizing effect, adding appropriate amount of PAAS strengthens the mechanical properties of fully drawn fibers, through the formation of new physical crosslinks with SA. Fibers having the tenacity of ∼0.6 cN/dtex, modulus of ∼37 cN/dtex, strain at break of ∼7 % and toughness of ∼4 J/g were achieved with 15 % PAAS loading. Therefore, the PAAS addition has dual-effects in SA fiber wet spinning: to modify the rheology of the SA spinning solution and to strengthen the wet-spun SA fibers for textile applications.}, journal={CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS}, author={Li, Shanshan and Biswas, Manik Chandra and Ford, Ericka}, year={2022}, month={Dec} }
 @article{suarez_ford_venditti_kelley_saloni_gonzalez_2022, title={Rethinking the use of bio-based plastics to accelerate the decarbonization of our society}, volume={186}, ISSN={0921-3449}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2022.106593}, DOI={10.1016/j.resconrec.2022.106593}, abstractNote={The need to tackle the current environmental impact of plastics is driving the development of new bio-based materials. Although these bioplastics offer carbon footprint reductions, their role in a more sustainable economy is still unclear. Herein, a systematic review was performed to understand the impact of producing bioplastics. This information was used to perform a life cycle assessment considering different end-of-life scenarios. Then a Smart Use of Materials based on the assumption of only using certain materials in targeted applications was proposed. It was found that the dedicated use of bio-polyethylene terephthalate for packaging and polylactic acid for textiles can offer a carbon footprint reduction of up to 67% and 80% respectively. Therefore, we present a major opportunity to decarbonize our society using current technologies and supply chains. This concept contributes to building a society that understands the place of bio-based materials and addresses pollution from a material selection perspective.}, journal={Resources, Conservation and Recycling}, publisher={Elsevier BV}, author={Suarez, Antonio and Ford, Ericka and Venditti, Richard and Kelley, Stephen and Saloni, Daniel and Gonzalez, Ronalds}, year={2022}, month={Nov}, pages={106593} }
 @misc{ramesh_khan_park_ford_menegatti_genzer_2022, title={Self-healing and repair of fabrics: A comprehensive review of the application toolkit}, volume={54}, ISSN={["1873-4103"]}, DOI={10.1016/j.mattod.2021.11.016}, abstractNote={Self-healing fabrics respond to chemical and physical damage by restoring functional, structural, and morphological features. We present a comprehensive review of textile hybrids or composites capable of self-healing and repairing fabrics against damages across the micro- (µm), meso- (µm – mm), and macro-scale (>mm). The reviewed literature is organized in three sections presenting (i) the chemistry and fabrication principles of designing self-healing fabrics against increasing size scales of repair, (ii) stimuli-driven and autonomous healing, and (iii) the methods to characterize the recovery of wettability, barrier, morphological, mechanical, and other properties. The discussion of mainstream methods for developing self-healing fabrics focuses on coatings, composites, and specialized fabrication techniques required as the damage size grows from µm to mm to >mm. The section on stimuli-driven repair and autonomous recovery discusses the time scales associated with different damage repair, showing how external stimuli provide a higher driving force towards healing and accelerate material restoration than autonomous recovery. Finally, an array of optical, mechanical, and functional characterization techniques is discussed to evaluate the recovery yield and understand the repair mechanisms of the various fabrics. This review demonstrates the virtually limitless uses of next-generation self-healing systems, from separations to protective clothing, anti-fouling, and self-cleaning.}, journal={MATERIALS TODAY}, author={Ramesh, Srivatsan and Khan, Saad and Park, Yaewon and Ford, Ericka and Menegatti, Stefano and Genzer, Jan}, year={2022}, month={Apr}, pages={90–109} }
 @article{biswas_ford_2022, title={Using Sodium Polyacrylate to Gel-Spin Lignin/Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) Fiber at High Lignin Content}, volume={14}, ISSN={["2073-4360"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14132736}, DOI={10.3390/polym14132736}, abstractNote={Lignin is the world’s most naturally abundant aromatic polymer, which makes it a sustainable raw material for engineered polymers and fiber manufacturing. Dry-jet gel-spinning was used to fabricate poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) fibers having 30% or more of the lignin biopolymer. To achieve this goal, 0.45 wt.% of aqueous sodium polyacrylate (SPA, at 0.55 wt.% solids) was added to spinning dopes of PVA dissolved in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). SPA served to enable the spinning of fibers having high lignin content (i.e., above 30%) while eliminating the aging of as-spun gel fiber prior to elevated temperature drawing. SPA impedes the migration of acetone soluble lignin from the skin of as-spun gel fibers, because SPA is insoluble in acetone, which is also a nonsolvent coagulant for PVA. PVA fibers having 30% lignin exhibited the highest tenacity of 1.3 cN/dtex (centinewton/decitex) and specific modulus 35.7 cN/dtex. The drawn fiber of 70% lignin to PVA, showed tenacity and specific modulus values of 0.94 cN/dtex and 35.3 cN/dtex, respectively. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy showed evidence of hydrogen bonding between lignin and PVA among the drawn fibers. The modification of PVA/lignin dopes with SPA, therefore, allowed for the fabrication of gel-spun biobased fibers without the previously required step of gel aging.}, number={13}, journal={POLYMERS}, author={Biswas, Manik Chandra and Ford, Ericka}, year={2022}, month={Jul} }
 @article{banerjee_dedmon_rahmani_pasquinelli_ford_2021, title={Cyclization kinetics of gel-spun polyacrylonitrile/aldaric-acid sugars using the isoconversional approach}, volume={10}, ISSN={["1097-4628"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.1002/app.51781}, DOI={10.1002/app.51781}, abstractNote={Abstract}, number={11}, journal={JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE}, publisher={Wiley}, author={Banerjee, Debjyoti and Dedmon, Hannah and Rahmani, Farzin and Pasquinelli, Melissa and Ford, Ericka}, year={2021}, month={Oct} }
 @article{li_rizvi_lynch_tracy_ford_2021, title={Flexible Cyclic-Poly(phthalaldehyde)/Poly(epsilon-caprolactone) Blend Fibers with Fast Daylight-Triggered Transience}, volume={42}, ISSN={["1521-3927"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.1002/marc.202000657}, DOI={10.1002/marc.202000657}, abstractNote={Abstract}, number={7}, journal={MACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS}, publisher={Wiley}, author={Li, Shanshan and Rizvi, Mehedi H. and Lynch, Brian B. and Tracy, Joseph B. and Ford, Ericka}, year={2021}, month={Apr} }
 @article{biswas_bush_ford_2021, title={Glucaric acid additives for the antiplasticization of fibers wet spun from cellulose acetate/acetic acid/water (vol 245, 116510, 2020)}, volume={274}, ISSN={["1879-1344"]}, DOI={10.1016/j.carbpol.2021.118659}, journal={CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS}, author={Biswas, Manik Chandra and Bush, Bailey and Ford, Ericka}, year={2021}, month={Nov} }
 @article{jimenez_ford_2021, title={Mapping wet vs gel spinning in Hansen space}, volume={230}, ISSN={["1873-2291"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2021.124079}, DOI={10.1016/j.polymer.2021.124079}, abstractNote={The composition of coagulation baths for solution spun fibers are typically established through trial and error. No method currently exists to quantifiably differentiate wet from gel fiber spinning. Hansen Solubility Parameters (HSPs) characterize materials using a 3-dimensional coordinate system for dispersive ( δ D ), dipole-dipole ( δ P ), and hydrogen bonding ( δ H ) forces. This coordinate system was used to quantify the affinity of coagulation baths with respect to the polymer in the spinning solution. A correlation based on radial energy distribution (RED) was seen to consistently differentiate wet from gel spinning. If the HSP distance between the coagulation bath and polymer (Ra) is less than or equal to the inherent interaction radius (R o ) of the polymer (RED ≤ 1), coagulant diffusion inward is observed, which is critical for wet spinning. If Ra is greater than R o (RED > 1), negligible amounts of coagulant diffusion inward is observed, which is critical for gel spinning. This quantitative approach has applicability to a range of polymeric materials such as fiber, film, and membrane technologies. • Coagulation can be quantified by Hansen Solubility Parameters. • The relative energy difference (RED) differentiates wet from gel spinning. • Wet spinning is associated with an RED ≤1 in Hansen space. • Gel spinning is associated with an RED >1 in Hansen space.}, journal={POLYMER}, publisher={Elsevier BV}, author={Jimenez, Javier and Ford, Ericka}, year={2021}, month={Sep} }
 @article{singhi_ford_king_2021, title={The effect of wet spinning conditions on the structure and properties of poly-4-hydroxybutyrate fibers}, volume={109}, ISSN={["1552-4981"]}, DOI={10.1002/jbm.b.34763}, abstractNote={Abstract}, number={7}, journal={JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS RESEARCH PART B-APPLIED BIOMATERIALS}, author={Singhi, Bhavya and Ford, Ericka N. and King, Martin W.}, year={2021}, month={Jul}, pages={982–989} }
 @article{park_liu_gardner_johnson_keeler_ortiz_rabah_ford_2020, title={Biohybrid nanofibers containing manganese oxide-forming fungi for heavy metal removal from water}, volume={15}, ISSN={["1558-9250"]}, DOI={10.1177/1558925019898954}, abstractNote={ Manganese-oxidizing fungi support bioremediation through the conversion of manganese ions into manganese oxide deposits that in turn adsorb manganese and other heavy metal ions from the environment. Manganese-oxidizing fungi were immobilized onto nanofiber surfaces to assist remediation of heavy metal–contaminated water. Two fungal isolates, Coniothyrium sp. and Coprinellus sp., from a Superfund site (Lot 86, Farm Unit #1) water treatment system were incubated in the presence of nanofibers. Fungal hyphae had strong association with nanofiber surfaces. Upon fungal attachment to manganese chloride–seeded nanofibers, Coniothyrium sp. catalyzed the conformal deposition of manganese oxide along hyphae and nanofibers, but Coprinellus sp. catalyzed manganese oxide only along its hyphae. Fungi–nanofiber hybrids removed various heavy metals from the water. Heavy metal ions were adsorbed into manganese oxide crystalline structure, possibly by ion exchange with manganese within the manganese oxide. Hybrid materials of fungal hyphae and manganese oxides confined to nanofiber-adsorbed heavy metal ions from water. }, journal={JOURNAL OF ENGINEERED FIBERS AND FABRICS}, author={Park, Yaewon and Liu, Shuang and Gardner, Terrence and Johnson, Drake and Keeler, Aaron and Ortiz, Nathalia and Rabah, Ghada and Ford, Ericka}, year={2020}, month={Jan} }
 @article{geng_venditti_pawlak_chang_pal_ford_2020, title={Carboxymethylation of hemicellulose isolated from poplar (Populus grandidentata) and its potential in water-soluble oxygen barrier films}, volume={27}, ISSN={0969-0239 1572-882X}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10570-020-02993-2}, DOI={10.1007/s10570-020-02993-2}, number={6}, journal={Cellulose}, publisher={Springer Science and Business Media LLC}, author={Geng, Wenhui and Venditti, Richard A. and Pawlak, Joel J. and Chang, Hou-ming and Pal, Lokendra and Ford, Ericka}, year={2020}, month={Jan}, pages={3359–3377} }
 @article{park_gorman_ford_2020, title={Lanthanum carbonate nanofibers for phosphorus removal from water}, volume={55}, ISSN={["1573-4803"]}, DOI={10.1007/s10853-019-04324-8}, number={12}, journal={JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE}, author={Park, Yaewon and Gorman, Christopher and Ford, Ericka}, year={2020}, month={Apr}, pages={5008–5020} }
 @article{nam_park_hillyer_hron_ernst_chang_condon_hinchliffe_ford_gibb_2020, title={Thermal properties and surface chemistry of cotton varieties mineralized with calcium carbonate polymorphs by cyclic dipping}, volume={10}, ISSN={["2046-2069"]}, DOI={10.1039/d0ra06265k}, abstractNote={Hydroentangled nonwovens of raw white cotton fiber, scoured white cotton fiber, and raw brown cotton fiber are effective hosts for mineralization of calcium carbonate polymorphs to modify and improve their thermal and surface properties.}, number={58}, journal={RSC ADVANCES}, author={Nam, Sunghyun and Park, Yaewon and Hillyer, Matthew B. and Hron, Rebecca J. and Ernst, Nicholas and Chang, SeChin and Condon, Brian D. and Hinchliffe, Doug J. and Ford, Ericka and Gibb, Bruce C.}, year={2020}, month={Sep}, pages={35214–35225} }
 @article{lu_ford_2018, title={Antiplasticizing Behaviors of Glucarate and Lignin Bio-Based Derivatives on the Properties of Gel-Spun Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) Fibers}, volume={303}, ISSN={["1439-2054"]}, DOI={10.1002/mame.201700523}, abstractNote={Abstract}, number={4}, journal={MACROMOLECULAR MATERIALS AND ENGINEERING}, author={Lu, Chunhong and Ford, Ericka}, year={2018}, month={Apr} }
 @article{park_ford_2018, title={Macromol. Chem. Phys. 13/2018}, volume={219}, ISSN={1022-1352}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/MACP.201870033}, DOI={10.1002/MACP.201870033}, abstractNote={Back Cover: Ericka Ford and co-workers, in article 1800028, highlight titanium oxide (TiO2) sol-gel synthesis induced nanowrinkles along crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) that is electrospun at 45 kV. PVA hydroxyl groups influence TiO2 growth, which form atop of wrinkles, as the cycles of titanium isopropoxide and water dipping increase.}, number={13}, journal={Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics}, publisher={Wiley}, author={Park, Yaewon and Ford, Ericka}, year={2018}, month={Jul}, pages={1870033} }
 @article{lu_rawat_louder_ford_2018, title={Properties and Structural Anisotropy of Gel-Spun Lignin/Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) Fibers Due to Gel Aging}, volume={6}, ISSN={["2168-0485"]}, DOI={10.1021/acssuschemeng.7b03028}, abstractNote={In contrast to traditional techniques for fiber spinning, the gel-spinning of biobased lignin/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) fibers yields higher mechanical performance. To further improve upon the mechanical properties and molecular anisotropy of gel-spun lignin/PVA fibers, gel-fibers were aged in chilled solvents prior to fiber drawing. Fibers, containing 5% and 30% lignin to PVA, were spun from gel-fibers aged in 25/75 (v/v) water/acetone for up to 30 days at 5 °C. The best values of mechanical performance were obtained from 5% lignin fibers, where the average tensile strength was 1.4 GPa after 1 day of gel aging in water/acetone. After 14 days of aging 5% lignin fiber, the Young’s modulus was 54 GPa, and toughness was 25 J/g. Gel containing 30% lignin yielded high mechanical properties after 30 days of aging; however, some lignin gradually diffused into the aging solvent. The strongest fibers had the highest degrees of crystallinity and molecular anisotropy among PVA and lignin functional groups. Interesti...}, number={1}, journal={ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING}, author={Lu, Chunhong and Rawat, Preeti and Louder, Nortee and Ford, Ericka}, year={2018}, month={Jan}, pages={679–689} }
 @article{park_ford_2018, title={Titanium Oxide Sol-Gel Induced Wrinkling of Electrospun Nanofibers}, volume={219}, ISSN={["1521-3935"]}, DOI={10.1002/macp.201800028}, abstractNote={Abstract}, number={13}, journal={MACROMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS}, author={Park, Yaewon and Ford, Ericka}, year={2018}, month={Jul} }
 @article{lu_blackwell_ren_ford_2017, title={Effect of the Coagulation Bath on the Structure and Mechanical Properties of Gel-Spun Lignin/Poly(vinyl alcohol) Fibers}, volume={5}, ISSN={["2168-0485"]}, DOI={10.1021/acssuschemeng.6b02423}, abstractNote={Gel spinning was investigated as an alternative approach to the melt spinning of lignin-based fibers. Lignin/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) composites with various weight percentages of lignin were gel-spun into high-strength fibers. Although lignin is an amorphous biopolymer, incorporation of the rigid filler enhanced the mechanical properties of the PVA fibers and affected their structure. Lignin stabilized the gel structure of the thermoreversible PVA gel, as noted by higher gel melting temperatures. Methanol/acetone coagulation baths with high acetone content rendered the gel-spun fibers more drawable, helped to maintain lignin within the gel fibers, and increased the gel melting point. The best mechanical performance was observed for fibers containing 5% lignin, which had an average tensile strength of 1.1 GPa, a Young’s modulus of 37 GPa, and a toughness of 17 J/g. Structural analysis of the 5% lignin fibers showed them to possess the highest index of PVA crystallinity. The fibers were more drawable at h...}, number={4}, journal={ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING}, author={Lu, Chunhong and Blackwell, Charles and Ren, Qingyuan and Ford, Ericka}, year={2017}, month={Apr}, pages={2949–2959} }
 @article{park_rawat_ford_2017, title={Role of Polymerized Micelles on the Calcium Carbonate Mineralization of Nanofibers}, volume={56}, ISSN={0888-5885 1520-5045}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ACS.IECR.7B00902}, DOI={10.1021/ACS.IECR.7B00902}, abstractNote={Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is a well-known chemical adsorbent. In this study, anthraquinone dye adsorption by CaCO3-mineralized nanofibers was evaluated with respect to the chemistry and structure of ionic particles that were seeded into the fibers. Reacted and unreacted surfmers of polyoxyethylene-1-(alkyloxylmethyl) alkyl ether sulfuric ester ammonium salt (PAMS) and polyoxyethylene alkylphenyl ether ammonium sulfate (PAPS) were added to aqueous poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) solutions at concentrations above their critical micelle concentration prior to electrospinning. The roles of these polymerized micelles on CaCO3 mineralization (produced by dipping PVA nanofibers into alternating solutions of aqueous CaCl2 and NaCO3) were compared to the roles of calcium chloride (CaCl2) and unseeded PVA nanofibers. Seeding nanofibers with reacted PAMS and PAPS resulted in higher degrees of CaCO3 mineralization than those with unreacted surfmers. PAPS caused even greater degrees of CaCO3 mineralization than other seeds,...}, number={29}, journal={Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research}, publisher={American Chemical Society (ACS)}, author={Park, Yaewon and Rawat, Preeti and Ford, Ericka}, year={2017}, month={Jul}, pages={8241–8250} }
 @article{ford_suthiwangcharoen_d’angelo_nagarajan_2014, title={Role of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes on Ester Hydrolysis and Topography of Electrospun Bovine Serum Albumin/Poly(vinyl alcohol) Membranes}, volume={6}, ISSN={1944-8244 1944-8252}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/AM502495E}, DOI={10.1021/AM502495E}, abstractNote={Electrospun membranes were studied for the chemical deactivation of threat agents by means of enzymatic proteins. Protein loading and the surface chemistry of hybrid nanofibers influenced the efficacy by which embedded enzymes could digest the substrate of interest. Bovine serum albumin (BSA), selected as a model protein, was electrospun into biologically active fibers of poly(vinyl alcohol), PVA. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) were blended within these mixtures to promote protein assembly during the process of electrospinning and subsequently the ester hydrolysis of the substrates. The SWNT incorporation was shown to influence the topography of PVA/BSA nanofibers and enzymatic activity against paraoxon, a simulant for organophosphate agents and a phosphorus analogue of p-nitrophenyl acetate (PNA). The esterase activity of BSA against PNA was uncompromised upon its inclusion within nanofibrous membranes because similar amounts of PNA were hydrolyzed by BSA in solution and the electrospun BSA. However, the availability of BSA along the fiber surface was shown to affect the ester hydrolysis of paraoxon. Atomic force microscopy images of nanofibers implicated the surface migration of BSA during the electrospinning of SWNT filled dispersions, especially as greater weight fractions of protein were added to the spinning mixtures. In turn, the PVA/SWNT/BSA nanofibers outperformed the nanotube free PVA/BSA membranes in terms of paraoxon digestion. The results support the development of electrospun polymer nanofiber platforms, modulated by SWNTs for enzyme catalytic applications relevant to soldier protective ensembles.}, number={14}, journal={ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces}, publisher={American Chemical Society (ACS)}, author={Ford, Ericka N. J. and Suthiwangcharoen, Nisaraporn and D’Angelo, Paola A. and Nagarajan, Ramanathan}, year={2014}, month={Jul}, pages={11741–11748} }
 @article{ford_gilbert_2013, title={Displacement between Orders of Magnitude Method for SI Unit Conversion}, volume={90}, ISSN={0021-9584 1938-1328}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ed300006e}, DOI={10.1021/ed300006e}, abstractNote={The displacement between orders of magnitude (DBOM) method was introduced to help high school chemistry and physical science students perform conversions between units of the international system (SI). Students were taught how to numerically solve for the total number of placements between a set of units. The integer value, representing the DBOM, determines the multiples of 10 by which the coefficient should be reduced or increased. Further, the DBOM method gives a scaling factor between dissimilar SI units. This communication defines and gives instruction on how to teach the DBOM method within the classroom.}, number={1}, journal={Journal of Chemical Education}, publisher={American Chemical Society (ACS)}, author={Ford, Ericka N. J. and Gilbert, Yvette V.}, year={2013}, pages={134–136} }
 @article{ford_rawlins_mendon_thames_2012, title={Effect of acid value on the esterification mechanism of maleinized soybean oil with cotton}, volume={9}, ISSN={1547-0091 1935-3804}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/S11998-012-9420-Z}, DOI={10.1007/S11998-012-9420-Z}, number={5}, journal={Journal of Coatings Technology and Research}, publisher={Springer Science and Business Media LLC}, author={Ford, Ericka N. J. and Rawlins, James W. and Mendon, Sharathkumar K. and Thames, Shelby F.}, year={2012}, month={May}, pages={637–641} }
 @article{ford_minusa_liu_choi_jang_kumar_2012, title={Influence of SWNTs on the Preferential Alignment of Molecular Moieties in PVA Fibers}, volume={213}, ISSN={1022-1352}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/macp.201100534}, DOI={10.1002/macp.201100534}, abstractNote={Abstract}, number={6}, journal={Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics}, publisher={Wiley}, author={Ford, Ericka Nicole Johnson and Minusa, Marilyn Lillith and Liu, Tao and Choi, Ji Il and Jang, Seung Soon and Kumar, Satish}, year={2012}, month={Feb}, pages={617–626} }
 @article{ford_mendon_rawlins_thames_2011, title={Spectroscopic Analysis of Cotton Treated with Neutralized Maleinized Soybean Oil}, volume={88}, ISSN={0003-021X 1558-9331}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/S11746-010-1712-9}, DOI={10.1007/S11746-010-1712-9}, abstractNote={Abstract}, number={5}, journal={Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society}, publisher={Wiley}, author={Ford, Ericka N. J. and Mendon, Sharathkumar K. and Rawlins, James W. and Thames, Shelby F.}, year={2011}, pages={681–687} }