Research Programs
New Materials from Biomass
In response to global imperatives to reduce dependency on petroleum-based industries, developing alternative products, chemicals, and fuels from renewable, bio-based resources has become a critical priority for society. However, replacing fossil-based products remains an intricate technical and economic challenge. Petroleum-derived materials are deeply entrenched in modern manufacturing because they are currently inexpensive, widely available, and highly effective.
To address these market barriers, our research program focuses on utilizing abundant natural polymers—specifically cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and starch—to engineer next-generation advanced materials. Rather than simply substituting bio-mass into existing formulations, we seek to determine the underlying fundamental principles that dictate bio-based material behavior. This research systematically investigates the relationships between composition, processing, and structure, exploring how these interactions determine the final mechanical, thermal, and barrier properties of sustainable material systems.
By linking molecular architecture with pilot-scale process engineering, our goal is to design bio-based alternatives that match or exceed the performance metrics of traditional plastics and composites. Discovering these fundamental material relationships provides industrial sectors with the predictive frameworks required to successfully commercialize sustainable, high-performance bioproducts for a circular economy.
Valuation of Waste Textiles
Globally, the generation of post-consumer and industrial textile waste has reached an unprecedented scale, creating an urgent environmental crisis and a massive, underutilized resource. Our research program addresses this challenge by exploring multi-tiered valorization pathways designed to divert textile waste from landfills and transform it into high-value commercial products, functional materials, and climate mitigation strategies.
Through a materials science lens, we are evaluating the mechanical and structural integration of recovered textile fibers into specialized paper packaging formulations and high-loft insulating or cushioning nonwoven matrices. Concurrently, our program looks beyond mechanical recycling to assess the systemic, macro-level impacts of textile waste management. We are conducting comprehensive environmental and economic viability assessments to model the efficiency of converting low-grade textile waste into electricity via controlled co-combustion, as well as evaluating the long-term carbon sequestration potential of stabilizing and burying cellulosic textiles to serve as permanent atmospheric carbon sinks. By balancing advanced material engineering with strict life cycle and techno-economic modeling, our goal is to establish circular, economically scalable frameworks that maximize the value of textile waste while significantly reducing the global textile industry’s carbon footprint.
Life Cycle Analysis and Carbon Footprinting
As global society transitions toward a strictly carbon-constrained economy, business and industry face intense pressure to satisfy consumer demands while drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions. While optimizing energy efficiency and transitioning to low-carbon energy grids are critical pillars of climate mitigation, implementing economically wise and environmentally significant solutions requires an exhaustive evaluation of the “carbon footprint” across entire product supply chains. Managing this footprint represents the next logical phase for industrial sectors seeking to participate meaningfully in climate change mitigation.
Currently, the lack of a universally standardized framework for calculating product-level carbon footprints introduces commercial uncertainty and bias. The activities within this research group are explicitly focused on developing robust mathematical models, transparent empirical datasets, and rigorous system boundary conditions. By establishing these foundational methodologies, our objective is to provide industrial stakeholders with completely unbiased, reproducible, and verifiable calculations of the carbon footprints associated with complex products and commercial activities. This data-driven approach removes systemic errors, giving corporations the verified metrics needed to confidently advance authentic environmental stewardship and comply with emerging global climate reporting mandates.
Paper Recycling
Paper recycling stands as one of the most historically successful and vital sustainability technologies in the United States, processing over half of the roughly 100 million tons of paper consumed annually. However, continuous technological advances are required to overcome fundamental limitations that dictate final product quality, process economics, and environmental impacts. Our research program aims to define the exact chemical and physical mechanisms that determine the efficiency of conventional paper recycling unit operations, while concurrently developing innovative, next-generation reclamation methods.
Our investigative portfolio systematically explores the core scientific principles behind complex recycling dynamics. We analyze contaminant mitigation, focusing on optimizing the removal of pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) materials and “stickies” using mechanical screens, alongside developing advanced methods for the optical and chemical detection of depositable colloidal contaminants. Furthermore, our work targets the micro-mechanics of fiber processing, including agglomeration deinking mechanisms and the architectural fractionation of recovered fibers to maximize final structural integrity. By quantifying the progressive loss of inherent fiber strength caused by repeated recycling loops, we aim to design targeted chemical interventions that extend the lifespan of recycled paper materials, directly improving the commercial viability and environmental efficiency of the circular bioeconomy.
Green paper: for a method to determine if a paper product is recyclable using standard paper recycling technology, please see the Paper Recycling section listed under Other areas, to the right.
Supercritical Carbon Dioxide as a Green Solvent for Biomaterial Processing
The search for more environmentally sound technologies to replace the extensive use of organic solvents has led to the utilization of supercritical fluids (SCFs), particularly carbon dioxide. CO2 is renewable, non-toxic, and non-flammable; hence, it is the most widely used solvent in SCF technologies. Moreover, CO2 attains a supercritical (SC) state at relatively lower temperature and pressure (31.1 oC, 7.38 MPa, 72.8 atm), making it more suitable for thermally labile materials. Its early applications include decaffeination of coffee and tea, manufacture of hop products, and extraction of pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals from agricultural materials [1, 2]. SC CO2has also been shown to be a good environment for dispersion and microemulsion polymerization [3]. In our research, we have developed techniques to determine the solubility of solutes in CO2 alone and with cosolvents as a function of temperature and pressure. The image shows our solubility view cell; a liquid-gas interphase can be seen in the image. We have also evaluated the extraction of compounds from different substrates with this technology. The use of cosolvents and surfactants to create micelles that solubilize compounds that are not readily soluble in CO2 has been evaluated.
Microparticles Generated in Laundering: Generation, Aquatic Biodegradation, and Fate in Water Treatment Plants
The accumulation of microparticles in marine and freshwater ecosystems represents a severe ecological threat, with mounting global concern surrounding the role of household garment laundering in releasing microfibers into municipal wastewater streams. Empirical data shows that a single synthetic or natural garment can shed thousands of individual fibers per wash. Because these microparticles readily bypass standard wastewater infrastructure, identifying the degradation profiles and environmental endpoints of these fibers is paramount to protecting aquatic life and human food chains.
The primary objective of this research initiative is to quantify and characterize the physical shedding dynamics of natural cotton fibers during laundering compared directly to synthetic alternatives like polyester and acrylic. By tracking these fibers across sequential stages of municipal infrastructure—including physical screening, primary clarification, and secondary biological water treatment—our models estimate the total volume of microparticles discharged into natural basins. Furthermore, this study evaluates the comparative aerobic biodegradation rates of these recovered fibers in freshwater and marine environments (such as oceans and lakes).
By establishing a definitive timeline for the ultimate fate of textile microparticles in global aquatic systems, we provide essential, unbiased scientific data to help the apparel and textile industries develop genuinely sustainable, biodegradable materials. A short video overview detailing this research initiative can be found here.
Functionalized Cotton Seed Oil
Cotton seed oil is a valuable agricultural coproduct containing specific reactive functional units that can serve as the foundation for a robust, green chemical platform. Rather than relying on traditional petroleum-derived synthetics, our research group utilizes green chemistry methods to modify this bio-based oil, developing sustainable chemical finishes engineered specifically for fabric and paper substrates.
Our experimental formulations focus on imparting multiple advanced performance characteristics to treated materials. We are optimizing chemical pathways to render surfaces hydrophobic, wrinkle-resistant, and stain-resistant, while simultaneously enhancing both the dry and wet tensile strength of the paper and textile matrices. By investigating these fundamental polymer-substrate interactions, our goal is to provide consumer product and packaging industries with a renewable, non-toxic alternative to conventional fluorochemical and synthetic surface treatments.
Microplastics in Paper
Microplastics are an escalating ecological threat, but detecting them inside complex organic matrices like paper is an analytical challenge. In this initiative, we are developing robust extraction and characterization methods to isolate and identify microplastics embedded within paper materials. Because paper is heavily integrated into global recycling loops, we need to evaluate exactly how these synthetic fragments migrate through industrial recycling streams. By measuring the concentration, physical shape, and chemical composition of these microplastics, we are providing the forest biomaterials sector with the empirical data needed to optimize separation technologies and ensure fiber purity.
Life Cycle Analysis of Christmas Trees
Determining the true environmental impact of commercial goods requires a rigorous, data-driven approach. This program is executing a comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to compare the long-term environmental footprints of real and artificial Christmas trees across their entire supply chains, from initial production to ultimate disposal. A unique pillar of this study involves tracking how genetic improvements in natural tree species—such as optimized growth rates, superior post-harvest needle retention, and heightened pest resistance—influence their environmental and economic performance. We aim to deliver an objective framework that supports sustainable forestry and maximizes carbon sequestration.
Understanding the Fundamentals of Biodegradability of Polymer Blends and Additives for Nonwoven Applications
Developing sustainable nonwoven fabrics requires designing polymer systems that match synthetic performance criteria while ensuring complete environmental breakdown. This research program investigates the fundamental extrusion and degradation mechanics of advanced bio-based polymer blends. We melt-spin complex formulations of polylactic acid (PLA), polycaprolactone (PCL), thermoplastic starch, and other natural polymers into fibers, analyzing how different processing conditions affect the fiber morphology. We then subject these engineered nonwovens to rigorous degradation testing to monitor their physical disintegration and microbial assimilation rates, giving manufacturers a predictive blueprint for tuning biodegradation timelines.
Quantifying the Temporary Climate Mitigation Benefit of Biogenic Carbon in Cotton Apparel and Home Textiles Globally
As international carbon accounting standards evolve, capturing the time-dependent climate impacts of natural fibers is essential for accurate environmental reporting. This project takes a global modeling approach to analyze the temporary climate mitigation benefits provided by the biogenic carbon stored within cotton apparel and home textiles during their active use phase. Because cotton plants absorb $\text{CO}_2$ from the atmosphere while growing, that carbon stays locked away for as long as the consumer products remain in circulation, acting as a decentralized, mobile carbon sink. Our models calculate this localized delay in carbon release to determine its precise cooling effect and net reduction on Global Warming Potential (GWP).
Understanding the Biodegradation of Biobased Polymers that are Purported as Biodegradable Polyesters and Cotton Textile Fibers and the Time Dependent Biodegradation Residual Materials
Many synthetic polymers are commercially marketed as “biodegradable polyesters,” but their actual breakdown kinetics in real-world environments vary significantly. We are running a comprehensive, comparative analysis to track how these materials biodegrade next to natural cotton and pure cellulose controls. Our group monitors their physical and chemical transformation across three primary endpoints: municipal wastewater systems, natural soil matrices, and industrial composting facilities. Crucially, we look beyond initial mass loss to closely analyze the time-dependent biodegradation of residual materials and persistent chemical intermediates, ensuring they degrade fully without leaving harmful microparticles behind..
Nanocellulose Films for Electronic Applications
To replace traditional petroleum plastic films in flexible electronics, we are developing renewable, biodegradable alternatives from wood fiber. Our team synthesizes advanced cellulose films using nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) as well as regenerated cellulose dissolved in a lithium chloride/dimethylacetamide (LiCl/DMAc) solvent system. To turn these high-barrier biopolymer sheets into functional electronic components, we utilize precision printing technologies to deposit conductive networks of silver nanowires right onto the cellulose surface. We then evaluate the composite films for electrical conductivity, mechanical flexibility, and electronic performance, ensuring the underlying matrix retains its rapid biodegradability at the end of its life cycle.