Achievement

IGERT trainee Vertonica Powell-Rose is determining the optimal uses for natural fibers as replacements for synthetic fiber-reinforced petroleum-based polymer composites and addressing known challenges to their more widespread application, such as a high degree of moisture absorption and poor thermal stability. Surface modification by means of chemical treatment (alkali treatment, acetylation) is being performed to remove components of natural fibers such as lignin, pectin and hemicellulose that contribute to these known challenges in the use of natural fibers. Vertonica presented a poster on “Investigation into Thermal Properties of Surface Treated Woven Flax Fibers,” at the Emerging Researchers National (ERN) Conference on February 28-March 2, 2013 in Washington DC for which she was awarded first place in the graduate poster competition in the Technology and Engineering Division.