Ericka Ford

Bio

Dr. Ericka Ford is an Assistant Professor within the Wilson College of Textiles. She holds a joint appointment in the Department of Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science and The Nonwovens Institute. Prior to joining the Wilson College of Textiles, Dr. Ford served as a National Research Council postdoctoral awardee in Chemical and Biological Defense, Science and Technology at the US Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center. Although Dr. Ford is new to the Wilson College of Textiles, she is not a stranger to the field of textiles. By her junior year in high school, she knew that a career in textile engineering was for her. Since then, she has earned an undergraduate degree in Polymer Fiber Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), studied for a year at Leeds University in England, and worked at BP Amoco Fabrics and Fibers for several summers as an Inroads intern. After being exposed to Research & Development professionals at BP Amoco, she prepared for graduate research through undergraduate experiences at Case Western Reserve University and The University of Maine. Dr. Ford earned her master’s degree in Polymer Science from the University of Southern Mississippi, where she studied the use of sustainable, environmentally friendly coatings technologies. Her investigation of bio-based resins for wrinkle free finishing was presented at the 2006 AATCC Herman and Myrtle Student Paper Competition and placed 1st. Upon returning to Georgia Tech as a doctoral student, she investigated the gel spinning of carbon nanotube (CNT) composites for high strength, high modulus fibers. In addition to graduate research, she participated in two NSF supported IGERTs- for integrated graduate education and research training focused on the commercialization of polymers and fiber technologies. In 2005, she and others traveled to Shanghai to learn about technology commercialization and the economy in China.

Research

Dr. Ford’s research and educational activities will involve the following:

1. Protective and therapeutic nonwovens
2. Engineering of high performance fibers and textiles
3. Sustainable textile coatings and finishing technologies
4. Training and development for science and engineering professions

Organizations

American Chemical Society

Teaching

TMS 211
TT 405
T 491
TT 505

Area(s) of Expertise

Fiber Science
Nonwovens
Polymer/Fiber/Textile Processing

Publications

• Aquatic biodegradation of poly(β-hydroxybutyrate) in polylactic acid and maleic anhydride blended fibers , JOURNAL OF POLYMER RESEARCH (2024)
• Beyond cotton and polyester: An evaluation of emerging feedstocks and conversion methods for the future of fashion industry , JOURNAL OF BIORESOURCES AND BIOPRODUCTS (2024)
• Development of Eco-Friendly Soy Protein Fiber: A Comprehensive Critical Review and Prospects , Fibers (2024)
• Aquatic Biodegradation of Poly(beta-Hydroxybutyrate) and Polypropylene Blends with Compatibilizer and the Generation of Micro- and Nano-Plastics on Biodegradation , JOURNAL OF POLYMERS AND THE ENVIRONMENT (2023)
• Organophosphate-Cyclodextrin Inclusion Complex for Flame Retardancy in Doped Cellulose Acetate Butyrate Melt-Spun Fibers , INDUSTRIAL & ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY RESEARCH (2023)
• Dual roles of sodium polyacrylate in alginate fiber wet-spinning: Modify the solution rheology and strengthen the fiber , CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS (2022)
• Rethinking the use of bio-based plastics to accelerate the decarbonization of our society , Resources, Conservation and Recycling (2022)
• Self-healing and repair of fabrics: A comprehensive review of the application toolkit , MATERIALS TODAY (2022)
• Using Sodium Polyacrylate to Gel-Spin Lignin/Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) Fiber at High Lignin Content , POLYMERS (2022)
• Cyclization kinetics of gel-spun polyacrylonitrile/aldaric-acid sugars using the isoconversional approach , JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE (2021)

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