The impact of the laboratory is gauged by its more than 8755
scientific publications and 1035
patents in its 70+ year history. Recognizing that
sucrose, common table sugar, was in surplus, SRRC researchers demonstrated the chemical conversion of sucrose to certain
sucrose esters and their use as emulsifiers, stabilizers, and texturizers in foods. Making use of surplus
oilseed crops, SRRC researchers invented routes to
acetoglycerides and their use as thin, stretchable films suitable for edible coatings in various food applications and non-food
plasticizer applications. SRRC researchers invented other improvements to cotton fabrics including imparting flame and heat resistance,
antibacterial properties, oil resistance, and a stretchy version of cotton fabrics. They invented cotton tire cord and light-weighting tarpaulin materials by incorporating cotton into the materials. They improved printing processes for cotton textiles, as well as mechanical processing equipment for use by textile mills. Contributions of the laboratory to food safety include detection and detoxification of
aflatoxin in
cottonseed and peanuts, in addition to
gossypol analysis of cottonseed. Inventions from the laboratory provided improved food quality and
processed food quality. These inventions included high protein rice flour, edible rice bran oil, cottonseed oil with food characteristics similar to coconut butter, and fat sources for improved intravenous nutrition in medical settings. SRRC researchers found means of improving such processed foods as dehydrated celery, pickles, and new uses of sweet potatoes. They additional found improved uses of pine tree products, especially the practical applications of pine tar rosin. Improvements to
synthetic rubber also came from SRRC laboratories. ==References==