Abstract: A thermoplastic biobased material-containing composition comprising chemically-modified feathers and/or dried distillers grains and a process for forming the thermoplastic biobased material-containing composition. More specifically, the thermoplastic biobased material-containing composition comprises one or more of the following chemically-modified biobased materials: (a) acylated biobased material having a % Acyl Content that is at least 3% and a % Weight Gain that is at least 1%, and; (b) etherified biobased material having a % Weight Gain that is at least 2%; and (c) graft polymerized biobased material having a % Monomer Conversion that is at least 40%, a % Grafting Efficiency that is at least 30%, and a % Grafting that is at least 10%.

Abstract: A power plant for providing electric power to a power grid includes energy sources; power conditioning units and a controller configured to cause power provided to the grid to have selected electrical characteristics. The controller is in high speed real-time communication with the power conditioning units and programmed to provide instructions to the power conditioning units.

Abstract: A power plant for providing electric power to a power grid includes energy sources; power conditioning units and a controller configured to cause power provided to the grid to have selected electrical characteristics. The controller is in high speed real-time communication with the power conditioning units and programmed to provide instructions to the power conditioning units.

Abstract: A series of new manufactured protein fibers from wheat proteins, a method and kit for production of these wheat protein fibers is provided. The method may include dissolving wheat proteins by use of at least one of an alkali, acid, alcohol, reducing agent, amino acid, chemical additive, or salt in weight ratios ranging between approximately 0.5 percent and 50 percent by weight of a single wheat protein or a combination of one or more wheat proteins. Further, the method may involve aging the dissolved wheat proteins at temperatures from approximately minus thirty degrees Celsius (?30° C.) to one hundred and fifty degrees Celsius (150° C.) for approximately one to eighty hours to obtain a spinnable solution. In addition, the method entails extruding the dissolved wheat proteins into a coagulation bath to precipitate the wheat protein fibers in which the coagulation bath includes at least one of an alkali, acid or salt.

Abstract: A method and kit for rice fiber extraction is provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the method may include treating rice straw with an alkali solution such as a sodium hydroxide solution. Further, the method may include extracting coarse rice fibers from the rice straw and treating the extracted coarse rice fibers with an enzyme solution. For instance, the enzyme solution may include cellulase and a xylanase preparation. Implementation of the method results in high quality natural cellulose rice fibers which may be suitable for all textile applications that use natural cellulose fibers (e.g., cotton and linen). In addition, extracted rice fibers that are at least ten (10) millimeters in length, no more than 0.5 millimeters in width and include a generally smooth surface are disclosed. For example, textile or composite products may be produced with such rice fibers.