Margaret Frey
Prof Asst
2007
FSAD

Web Bio Page

Current Activities

Current Professional Activities
American Chemical Society, Fiber Society, Society of Women Engineers


Current Research Activities
Research themes in my laboratory fall under two interconnected umbrellas: rapidly renewable polymers as engineering materials and interfacing fiber science and nanotechnology. The success and the range of the research have resulted from strong collaboration with researchers in both related and dissimilar fields. Combining the tools and capabilities of fiber science with expertise in fields including entomology, horticulture, biological and environmental engineering, materials science, chemical and biomolecular engineering and biomedical engineering has resulted in synergistic leaps in materials research that would not be possible without close collaboration between experts in diverse fields.
RAPIDLY RENEWABLE POLYMERS:
Two major rapidly renewable polymers have been used extensively in my research: cellulose and polylactic acid (PLA). Cellulose research has focused on a new solvent system for cellulose with emphasis on understanding the dissolution mechanism and rheology of the resulting solutions. PLA, formed into fibers by electrospinning, has been used as a base material to build controlled release agricultural chemical delivery systems and biohazard recognition fabrics.
Cellulose is the most abundant naturally occurring polymer and has excellent physical properties. It is also unique in comparison to common synthetic polymers in being simultaneously hydrophilic and insoluble in water. Relevance of research into new processing routes for cellulosic materials is currently significant as costs of petroleum, the raw material for most manufactured polymers, is high and simultaneously, uses for bi-products of biodiesel processes are necessary to improve the economics of producing fuel from plants. Investigation of a new cellulose solvent system has been funded by USDA Hatch grants and the National Textile Center (NTC). Research has resulted in 1 patent application and 4 peer reviewed publications. Collaboration with Richard Kotek and John Cuculo at North Carolina State University (NCSU) has resulted in formation of fibers with excellent properties by electrospinning (at Cornell) and dry-jet wet spinning (at NCSU) techniques.
INTERFACING FIBER SCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
The second research theme, interfacing fiber science and nanotechnology, has resulted in particularly fruitful collaborations. Properties of fiber-based materials include:
• high specific surface area
• incorporation of multiple dissimilar materials in a single fabric
• strength and flexibility
• high porosity with adjustable pores size
• well known methods of processing and use into textiles

These properties can combine with some of the unique physics and high reactivity that have been discovered at the nano-scale to create useful and functional materials. Several variations on this theme have created an ever-expanding circle of projects.


Biography

Biographical Statement
Education:
Cornell University Chemical Engineering B.S. 1985
Cornell University Fiber Science M.S. 1989
North Carolina State University Fiber and Polymer Science Ph.D.1995

Positions Held:
Assistant Professor, Department of Textiles and Apparel, College of Human Ecology, Cornell University (July 2002-present).
Manager of Material Development, Champlain Cable Corporation, (January 1998 – April 2002).
Materials Specialist, Johnson Filaments, (June 1995 – December 1997).
Technical Specialist, Helene Curtis Industries, (August 1988-August 1990).
Staff Scientist, TRI Princeton, (July 1987-August 1988).


Education
Education:
Cornell University Chemical Engineering B.S. 1985
Cornell University Fiber Science M.S. 1989
North Carolina State University Fiber and Polymer Science Ph.D.1995



Courses, Websites, Pubs

Courses Taught
  • TXA135 - Fabrics, Fibers and Finishes
  • TXA237 - Structural Fabric Design
  • TXA666 - Fiber Formation Theory and Practice


    • Related Websites

    Research Group Website:  http://people.ccmr.cornell.edu/~frey/

    Internships for Public Science Education  http://www.ipse.psu.edu/



    Publications
    Dapeng Li, Margaret W .Frey*, Dionysios Vynias, Antje J. Baeumner “Availability of biotin incorporated in electrospun PLA fibers for streptavidin binding”, Polymer, 48, 6340-6347 (2007).

    C.Xiang, M. W.Frey*, A.G. Taylor, M. Rebovich, “Selective chemical absorbance in electrospun nonwovens”, Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 106, 2363-2370 (2007).

    Margaret W. Frey*, Dapeng Li, Tina Tsong, Antje J. Baeumner, Yong L. Joo, “Incorporation of biotin into PLA nanofibers via suspension and dissolution in the electrospinning dope”, Journal of Biobased Materials and Bioenergy, 1, 219-227 (2007).

    Margaret W. Frey* and Lei Li, “Electrospinning and Porosity Measurements of Nylon-6/Poly(ethylene oxide) Bi-component Fibrous Mats”, Journal of Engineered Fibers and Fabrics, http://www.jeffjournal.org/papers/Volume2/Frey-Li.pdf.

    Min Xiao and Margaret W. Frey*, “The Role of Salt on Cellulose Dissolution in Ethylene Diamine/Salt Solvent Systems”, Cellulose, 14, 225-234 (2007).

    D. Li, Y.L. Joo, M.W. Frey*, “Characterization of Nanofibrous Membranes by Capillary Flow Porometry”, Journal of Membrane Science, 286, 104-114 (2006).

    L.Li, M.W.Frey*, T. B. Green,” Modification of air filter media with Nylon 6 nanofibers”, Journal of Engineered Fibers and Fabrics. http://www.jeffjournal.org/papers/06Aug_AirFilterMedia.pdf (2006).

    L.Li, L.Bellan, H.Craighead and M.W. Frey*, “Formation and Properties of Nylon-6 and Nylon-6/montmorillonite Composite Nanofibers by Electrospinning”, Polymer, 47,6208-6217(2006).

    D. Li, M.W. Frey*, A.J.Baeumner, “Electrospun Polylactic Acid Nanofiber Membranes as Substrates for Biosensor Assemblies”, Journal of Membrane Science, 279(1-2), 354-363(2006) .

    M. W. Frey*, L. Li, M. Xiao, T. Gould, “Dissolution of cellulose in ethylene diamine/salt solvent systems”, Cellulose, , 13( 2), 147 – 155 (2006).

    M. W. Frey* , H.Chan, and K.Carrancko, “Rheology of cellulose/KSCN/ethylene diamine solutions and coagulation into fibers and films” Journal of Polymer Science, Part B: Polymer Physics, 43, 2013-2022 ( 2005).

    C.-W. Kim, M. W. Frey, M. Marquez and Y.L. Joo*, “Preparation of Electrospun Cellulose Nanofibers via Direct Dissolution, Journal of Polymer Science, Part B: Polymer Physics, 43, 1673-1683 (2005).

    M. W. Frey* and M. H. Theil, “Calculated Phase Diagrams for Cellulose/Ammonia/Ammonium Thiocyanate Solutions in Comparison to Experimental Results”, Cellulose, 11 56-63 (2004).

    J. A.. Cuculo*, N. Aminuddin and M.W. Frey “Solvent Spun Cellulose Fibers”, J. A in Structure Formation in Polymeric Fibers, 296-328, D.R. Salem Ed., Hanser Publishers: Munich (2000).

    M.W. Frey, S.A. Khan* and J.A. Cuculo, “Rheology and Gelation of Cellulose/NH3/NH4SCN Solutions”, Journal of Polymer Science, Part B: Polymer Physics Ed.,34, 2375-2381 (1996).

    M.W. Frey, R. Spontak* and J.A. Cuculo, “Structure of the Cellulose/NH3/NH4SCN system by PLM and SEM”, Journal of Polymer Science, Part B: Polymer Physics Ed.,34,2049-2058 (1996).

    M.W. Frey, J. A. Cuculo*, A. Ciferri, and M.H. Theil, “A Review of Lattice Theory for Lyotropic Liquid Crystalline Polymers, Spinodal Decomposition and Gel Formation”, The Journal of Macromolecular Science - Reviews in Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics, 35(2) 294-335(1995).