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The report outlines the main achievements of the Italian and Egyptian teams within the first year of the research project "Multi-jet Electrospinning of Renewable Biopolymers-based composites". Two methods were adopted and compared to extract keratin from wool fibers. Sericin was extracted from raw natural silk using a simple and easily applicable method. The soluble keratin or sericin was mixed with PEO or PVA to obtain electro-spinnable biopolymer-composite. The said composites were electrospun into nanofibers by using multi-nozzles or nozzleless electrospinneret. The alteration in the chemical composition of soluble keratin and sericin relative to their respective starting materials was monitored using amino acid analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, electrophoresis, and the solubility in alkali as well as in urea-bisulphite solution. The thermal behavior of the prepared composites was assessed by differential scanning calorimetry. Scanning electron microscopy was used to evaluate the fiber morphology. The team work sent an article review for consideration of publication in one of the internationally recognized specialized journal (Nanotechnology Review). The Egyptian PI, Co-PI, and researcher visited the CNR-ISMAC, Biella in July 2018 and shared with the Italian team there electro-spinning of pre-prepared biopolymerbased composites using multi-nozzles electrospinneret. They with the Italian team discussed the main points that had been arisen so far. The Italian PI, Co-PI, and researcher visited the NRC in Cairo in February 2019. They electrospun the same biopolymer-based composites using nozzleless electrospinneret. The Italian team with the Egyptian counterparts exchanged ideas and discussed future plans. They also started to put the main structure of the first report of this project. |
