A nationally-known researcher in cotton fiber research has been named associate director of Texas Tech University's Fiber and Biopolymer Research Institute, according to officials within the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Noureddine Abidi, who currently serves as manager of the facility's Biopolymer Research Laboratory, officially stepped into his new post today (Aug. 27).

Abidi, who also holds the position of associate professor with Tech's Department of Plant and Soil Science, is on a Tech research team that this month was awarded more than $470,000 in funding by the Wal-Mart Foundation. The study, titled "Foam Indigo Dyeing of Cotton Yarns: Machine Design and Process Control," is aimed at reducing the amount of water, contaminants, time, labor, floor space and expense needed to apply indigo dye to denim yarns. Abidi has served as principal investigator or co-principal investigator on funded research grants totaling more than $12 million since 1999.

Prior to joining Tech in 1999, Abidi worked as a postdoctoral research fellow in the materials and membrane processes laboratory of the National School of Chemical Engineering of Montpellier (France); and a postdoctoral research fellow in the laboratory of physical chemistry of Condensed Matter at the University of Montpellier II (France).

Abidi received his bachelor's and master's degrees in chemistry from the University of Med I, Faculty of Sciences Oujda (Morocco); and his doctorate in theoretical, physical, and analytical chemistry from the University of Montpellier II (France). He was awarded the H.D.R. (Habilitation à Diriger les Recherches), a French diploma required to be full professor in French universities, in engineering science from the University of Haute Alsace, Mulhouse (France) in 2007.

Awards for Abidi include the Texas Tech Chancellor's Council Distinguished Teaching and Research Award (2013); Texas Tech College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Research Award (2012); Texas Tech University Chancellor's Award of Excellence (2002).

Tech's FBRI facility is equipped and staffed to conduct research and development activities ranging from small-scale testing through large-scale manufacturing. A fundamental objective is to foster greater use of the natural fibers and increase textile manufacturing in Texas. It occupies 110,000 square feet of space allowing researchers to conduct testing and evaluation from the raw fiber stage through the finished textile product. Activities revolve around researching, testing, and evaluating natural and man-made fibers; production and evaluation of yarns and fabrics; alternative textile processing systems; and dyeing and finishing; and special yarn and fabric treatments.

Written by Norman Martin

CONTACT: Richard Zartman, Department Chair and Leidigh Professor of Soil Physics, Department of Plant and Soil Science, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2838 or richard.zartman@ttu.edu

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