Towards … The Engineering Research Center for Innovative Fibrous Materials

1. Towards …The Engineering Research Center for Innovative Fibrous Materials Director: Behnam Pourdeyhimi, bpourdey@ncsu.edu, 919-515-1822, Co-Director: Ruben Carbonell, ruben@ncsu.edu, 919-515-5118,

2. Nonwovens – Innovative Fibrous Materials • Nonwovens are Engineered Innovative Fabrics • Nonwovens are manufactured by high-speed, low-cost processes – Large Volume, Low Cost • Nonwovens are in many applicationsalready, but most are hidden and you do not see them

3. History… • In 1991, The Nonwovens Cooperative Research Center (NCRC) started as a National Science Foundation Center in the form of a State Industry University Cooperative Research (State I/UCRC) Center. • Funds were to come equally in the amount of $300,000 each from the • State of North Carolina • Industry • NSF • In 1998, NCRC graduated from the National Science Foundation.

4. NCRC’s Growth ContinuesNCRC is the largest I/UCRC in the Nation Establishment of pilot and analytical facilities Development of a model for Extension, Engagement, Economic Development Core Research Non-Core Research & Support Extension, Engagement, Economic Development

5. Current NCRC Supported Staff – 16 • Five visiting Faculty/Scientists – Teaching and Research • Hooman Tafreshi • Svetlana Verenich • Eunkyoung Shim • Benoit Maze • Bong Yeom • Twelve Full time Staff • Sherwood Wallace • Stephen Sharp • Ben Lambert • Alvin Fortner • William Barnes • Robert Byron • John Fry • Amy Minton • Susan Pegram • Wendy Cox • Don Shiffler • Bruce Anderson

6. Investments in Infrastructure by NCRC

7. FULL MEMBER I BASF Clorox Colbond Cumins Filtration Eastman First Quality Jockey Int. KITECH MeadWestvaco NATICK NatureWorks Procter & Gamble ProMetic Rohm and Haas FULL MEMBER II 3-M A. Celli Ahlstrom Albany Int. Arkema AstenJohnson BBA Fiberweb Cintas ConvaTec Cotton Inc. Current Member Companies FULL MEMBER II • Dow • DuPont • FiberVisions • CHA Technologies (FIT) • Fleissner • Freudenberg • Hills Inc. • INDA • Johns Manville • Kimberly-Clark • Kuraray • Milliken • PGI Nonwovens • Raytech Composites • Rieter Textile Systems • Sellers Wipes • San Fang Chemical • Sara Lee • Sunoco • TTIR AFFILIATE • AFTECH • Allasso Industries • American Truetzschler • Apexical, Inc. • Atlantic Mills • Dophes, Ltd • Duke Energy • Fi-Tech • FlexForm Technologies • Fluent • General Nonwovens • Groz-Beckert • Herrmann Ultrasonics • J. D. Hollingsworth • Jenkins, Wilson & Taylor • NanoFiber Group • Nippon Nozzle • Nonwoven Media Int. • NSC • NuTex Concepts • OMNOVA • Porous Materials, Inc. • Progress Energy • Slack & Parr • Xymid, LLC ASSOCIATE • CSIRO

8. NCRC’s Mission • Education • Training students • Technology transfer • Short Courses • In-plant Training • Research • Core – Creating Knowledge – Fundamental & Applied • Non-core – Outreach – Applied & Fundamental • Economic Development (Extension/Engagement) • Analytical services • Product innovation/development

9. Why an ERC?To Sustain and Support a Rapidly Growing Industry • Initially, focused on single-use disposable products, today this $50 billion industry, with as much as $11 billion in roll goods, produces a wide-ranging array of products – These are not apparel textiles. • Presently, the major markets include medical and hygiene, filtration, personal care and industrial and automotive.

10. Materials Roll Goods Machinery Products Innovation & The Industry • Are we doing enough to ensure our future? • It is unlikely, that growth in these markets can be sustained, or that new markets can be generated, in the absence of significant innovations in materials or process technologies that can enable the development of new and innovative products. Innovation

11. TAPE BACKINGS LOW DENSITY ABRASIVES MEDICAL PRODUCTS INSULATION ANDFILTERS

12. The Vision • to become a global research, educational, and training resource for the Fibrous Materials Industry by developing innovative fibrous materials and systems that sustain and improve the economic well being of the nation and contribute to the quality of the environment and public health.

13. Mission • to develop new scientific and engineering knowledge through world-class scholarship. • to transfer that knowledge to the Industry to spawn commercialization of next-generation product technologies to drive the innovations required to realize new classes of uniquely robust and responsive products.

14. Our Model … University, Industry, Government Industry, University & Government NSF’s Mission Transferring Knowledge Creating Knowledge Adding Value New Product Development Fundamental Research Core Research Non-Core, Applied Research Extension, Engagement and Economic Development Graduate & Undergraduate Education

15. Goals • Undertake research in the areas of materials synthesis, surface engineering, and structure/process modeling to aid in the development of new and innovative products related, but not restricted, to medical, surgical and drug delivery applications, biospecific biological separations processes, drug and toxin detection and removal, national defense, energy conversion, reinforced materials for construction and aeronautical applications, and energy conservation.

16. Goals • Build strategic alliances with industrial partners and facilitate technology transfer and commercialization, and meet the education, research, and engagement needs of the industry. • Educate and train students and researchers through targeted educational programs, short courses, online and distance education programs, internships, sabbaticals, direct in-plant training, and one-on-one consulting.

17. Research FocusResponsive Polymer Structures - Examples • Electrically conducting fibers – Use in adsorptive filters – detection and removal • Thermally responsible fibers – Drug delivery, sensors, energy conversion • Impregnation of drugs into fibers – Drug delivery, wound healing, surgical applications

18. Research FocusSurface Modification Technologies - Examples • Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) approaches for organic, inorganic and metallic coatings • Plasma treatment for ligand attachment – Biospecific separations, detection, removal • Controlling of surface-modified fiber properties

19. Research FocusComposites & Hybrid Materials - Examples • Particle – nano fiber composites, nano tubes – Uses in energy storage, conversion, catalysis • Nano- and micro- particle impregnated membranes – energy conversion, medical devices • Composite/mixed-mode/gradient materials (combination of nano and micro fibers)

20. Outreach • Involve undergraduate and graduate students in research projects, publications, and presentations,   • Develop an interdisciplinary Graduate Certificate and MS programs in Engineered Fabrics at NC State. • Collaborate with The Science House and the Kenan Fellows Program at NC State to implement teacher institutes to train secondary school teachers on ways to teach engineering and scientific concepts. • Work closely with North Carolina and US Department of Commerce, Wake County and other Economic Development groups to recruit small and mid-sized companies to North Carolina and provide in-plant training and technical assistance to those in need.

21. Engineered Innovative Fibrous Materials New Products & Processes Integrative fibrous material tesbeds Filtration, Separation, Automotive, Medical, Hygiene Engineered System Performance models Models for Product/Process Development Structure models Process models Expedient processes for the large-scale production Enabling Technology Fiber and polymer materials synthesis Engineering of surfaces Material Synthesis and Surface Engineering Structure-property relationships Creation of multi-component and responsive fibers, nano fibers, and nano materials Fundamental Knowledge 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Year

22. Thrust Areas & Leaders • Fiber and Polymer Materials Synthesis • Saad Khan; Richard Spontak; Alan Tonelli, Sam Hudson • Surface Engineering • Greg Parsons; Jan Genzer; Peter Hauser; Ruben Carbonell • Process Engineering, and Structure modeling • Jon Rust; Behnam Pourdeyhimi • Structure modeling • Hooman Tafreshi; Jeffrey W. Eischen; George Chase, Dr. Alexander Yarin • Entrepreneurship – Systems

23. Status to date… • First draft will be ready by 3/26 • Over 50 responses from NCSU and Partner universities • NCSU • Georgia Tech • Maryland • Akron • U.I.C • Loughborough • Liberec

24. National Science Foundation AOC Council of Deans: NCSU and Partner Universities Communications Director University Policy Committee NCSU and Partner Universities Industrial Advisory Board Director Co-Director Center Analyst Deputy Director Associate Director Tech. Transfer Associate Director Education Associate Director Research