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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Plant Polymer Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #211534
Title: IMPROVED ISOLATION & ELECTROSPINNING OF ZEIN

Author
item Selling, Gordon
item Woods, Kristen

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/15/2007
Publication Date: 7/15/2007
Citation: Selling, G.W., Woods, K.K. 2007. IMPROVED ISOLATION & ELECTROSPINNING OF ZEIN. Meeting Abstract. xx.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The major historical use of zein, the predominant corn protein, has been in the fibers market. In order to evaluate new formulations of zein in the fibers market a simple means of isolating and generating fibers is necessary. We have evaluated the ability to electrospin zein from numerous solvents and found that acetic acid provides round fibers with fewer defects having high orientation. It was found that the structure of zein spun from EtOH/water or acetic acid were different. Similarly the structure of zein in these solutions is different as well when determined by either circular dichroism or intrinsic viscosity. We found that acetic acid provides certain benefits when used to isolate zein. When small amounts of water are added to acetic acid, electrospraying resulted. Solvents such as dimethylformamide, 8M ureau/water, 1 N sodium hydroxide were also evaluated and found to give electrospraying. It was found that surface tension plays a large role in the spinnability of these solutions.