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Environmentally friendly composite materials added to prestigious Materials ConneXion
 

10:30 a.m., April 24, 2003--A jury has unanimously accepted the addition of composite materials made from waste chicken feathers and soy resins developed at the University of Delaware to the prestigious library of the Materials ConneXion of New York and Milan.

Richard Wool, professor of chemical engineering, directs UD’s Affordable Composites from Renewable Sources program.

The materials were selected for excellence in the category of items derived from natural materials, according to Richard Wool, director of UD’s Affordable Composites from Renewable Sources (ACRES) program.

The materials were produced by the UD Department of Chemical Engineering and the Center for Composite Materials.

The chicken feather and soy resin composites can be used to create a wide variety of products, Wool said, including a new generation of computer microchips.

Other uses include “woodless” construction materials, automobile parts and biodegradable packaging, he said.

Wool said he believes the research will result in improved materials that also are environmentally friendly and that could reduce dependence on petroleum.

“The inclusion in the Materials ConneXion library gives enhanced visibility to the new University of Delaware materials, which are being patented, and presents them to a broad spectrum of corporations who might consider licensing the UD technology or providing additional research support,” Wool said.

Wool said Materials ConneXion is a unique source of new and innovative materials and processes. Its library and showroom draw near constant attention from architects, manufacturers, materials developers, retailers and designers from around the globe who are in search of the latest and most exciting materials and processes.

According to the organization, it offers the largest global resource of new materials. Its library houses more than 1,400 new and innovative materials representing eight categories: polymers, glass, ceramics, carbon-based materials, cement-based materials, metals, natural materials and natural material derivatives.

Materials ConneXion clients include BMW, Nike, Airbus, Steelcase, L'Oreal, Samsung, Dow, Bayer, 3M, DuPont, Alcoa, Target, Bloomingdale’s, Victoria’s Secret, The Limited and Calvin Klein.

Article by Neil Thomas
Photo by Kathy Atkinson