Student Spotlight

Anastasia Timofeeva, The Nonwovens Institute, NC State University

Jul 3, 2024

Anastasia Timofeeva, Dynamic, In-situ Characterization of Failure Modes in Fiber Spinning

My research focuses on the development and implementation of a high-speed polarization imaging technique for in-situ defect detection in polymer fibers during fiber spinning production.

Young Jae Kim, The Nonwovens Institute, NC State University

Jul 1, 2024

Young Jae Kim, Understanding the Influence of Molecular Ordering on Wetting Resistance

The focus of my NWI (nonwovens) research project is to develop hydrocarbon-based alternatives to fluorocarbons for enhancing the performance of nonwoven materials.

Sophie-Nunno Gorbachev, The Nonwovens Institute, NC State University

Apr 19, 2024

Sophie Nunno-Gorbachev, Direct-to-Textile 3D Printing

The objective of my NWI research project is to develop a better understanding surrounding direct-to-textile 3D printing, to investigate 3D-printed structures and prototypes, and to study the interaction between 3D-printed parts and fabric.

Dominic Garcia, The Nonwovens Institute, NC State University

Oct 27, 2023

Dominic Garcia, Polyester Thermal Point Bonding and the Effect of Additives

My research involves the investigation of fundamental properties of nonwovens, such as crystallization and spinning techniques, for the improvement of thermally bonded nonwovens, benchmarked by qualities like tensile strength or appearance.

Yanyue Wang, The Nonwovens Institute, University of Illinois Chicago

Sep 22, 2023

Yanyue (Lydia) Wang, Modeling Bicomponent Fiber Extrusion

My NWI research project focuses on modeling bicomponent fiber extrusion. Solidification and bonding of sheath and core resins in multicomponent individual fibers will be explored via modeling and numerical simulations facilitated by experiments.

Sreenivasan Narayanan, The Nonwovens Institute, Virginia Commonwealth University

Sep 22, 2023

Sreenivasan Narayanan, Smart Nonwovens via Wet Film-Assisted Inkjet Printing of Temperature-Responsive Liquid Crystals

My research is focused on implementing drop-on-demand (DOD) printing technique as a rapid, scalable approach to print liquid crystals on nonwoven substrate to attain patterned, temperature-responsive, “smart” substrates.

Shyam Prasad Vasudeva Atri, The Nonwovens Institute, NC State University

Sep 19, 2023

Shyam Prasad Vasudeva Atri, Computational, Particle Removal via Electrically Charged Multilayer Nonwovens

My research focuses on understanding and formulation of the science of capturing particles via charged nonwovens, such as electrostatic wipes or electrostatically charged filters. The first step in my approach is to develop mathematical formulations that describe how a charged particle – on a surface or airborne – will be captured by a charged fiber.

Darshana Malusare, The Nonwovens Institute, NC State University

Sep 18, 2023

Darshana Malusare, Adsorbent Particulate Deposition in Coform Spunbond Processes

My research focuses on developing a coform spunbond process to deposit metal organic framework (MOF) particles on polymer fibers/nonwoven webs to produce MOF-fiber composites. Nonwovens can serve as a flexible support for MOFs, resulting in the formation of MOF-fiber composites, which have versatile applications in areas like gas separation, filtration, catalysis and antimicrobial clothing.

Jose Alejandro Fernandez, The Nonwovens Institute, NC State University

Sep 18, 2023

Jose Alejandro Fernandez, Biodegradability of Polymers, Blends and Additives for Nonwovens

My NWI research project focuses on biodegradation of fibers made of polylactic acid (PLA) and how other polymers and additives help to biodegrade it. We are aiming to provide information about how this polymer can be applied in textiles (specifically nonwovens) and how it will biodegrade when blended with other polymers and additives.

Anicah Smith-O'Brien, The Nonwovens Institute, North Carolina State University

Sep 8, 2023

Anicah Smith O’Brien, Effect of Surface Coatings on Biodegradability and Functional Properties of Biopolymers

My research focuses on studying the impact of surface coatings and blending on the biodegradability of polymer substrates. Surface coatings are commonly applied to nonwoven products to modify their physical properties, such as hydrophilicity, which is particularly important for personal hygiene products.