Fiber developments modified/functional chemical fibers

In mature mammalian fibers, there are intercellular connections between the main cell types including cuticle-cuticle, cuticle-cortical, cortical-cortical, and, in some fibers, cortical-medullary [32]. Together, these intercellular regions constitute a continuous phase in the fiber and, as such, play an important mechanical and chemical role in fiber function [16]. There is no universal agreement on the question of which structural components comprise the so-called cell membrane complex (CMC) [11,16]. However, the modified plasma membranes ( 3-layers) and the intercellular material (8-layers), which are formed in the developing fiber shaft, are considered to be its main components [11,16,26,28]. 

A novel procedure was developed to improve psyllium functionality by conducting a solid-state enzyme reaction. The procedure requires no special equipment/operation (such as freeze dry) and could be carried out without using any additional chemicals. To evaluate the solid-state enzymatic procedure, modified psyllium preparations were produced under selected reaction conditions, and analyzed for their water-absorbing capacity, gelling capacity, particle surface structure, and soluble and insoluble fiber contents. The results showed that structural modification improved psyllium functionality. Modified psyllium preparations had reduced water-absorbing capacity and less gelling ability. The reduced water-absorbing capacity may be explained by the decreased surface area of psyllium particles. In addition, the solid-state enzymatic treatments had much less effects on soluble fiber contents than the liquid phase enzymatic reactions. 

The most widely used chemically modified PPO in the development of thin film composite membranes is sulfonated polyphenylene oxide (SPPO). The polymer in the acid form as well as salt form has been used by Bikson to produce multilayer composite membranes. These types of membranes have been described to have at least two chemically distinct layers deposited on a porous substrate in a single coating step process. The outer layer forms a protective defect-sealing surface whereas the inner layer is the selective SPPO layer. This layer is adjacent to the porous support membrane. The two top layers are formed simultaneously on top of porous polysulfone support hollow fibers. A coating solution of SPPO in the lithium salt form (SPPO-Li ) and amine functional silicone fluid was coated on top of the polysulfone fibers. These coated fibers were used to construct a hollow fiber separator permeator. 

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