its molecules are shaped like long chains containing many thousands of atoms. The long, chainlike shape of the molecules is what makes cellulose, like nylon and polyester, a good fiber. Benerito discovered a way to treat cotton fibers so that the chainlike cellulose molecules were joined together chemically. This procedure is known as crosslinking, and it makes cotton resistant to wrinkling. Her innovation was discovering an additive that chemically attached to cellulose chains and smoothed the surface. It was first thought that crosslinking was making the cotton fabric wrinkle resistant by strengthening its fibers, but the amount of crosslinking used in Benerito's treatment is small and does not add much strength. She developed a new theory on how crosslinking works. It is known that cellulose molecules can stick to each other by means of the weak hydrogen bonds between molecules. She proposed that one side effect of her crosslinking process was the strengthening of the hydrogen bonds, which made the material resistant to wrinkling. Laboratory equipment Benerito's research led to the development of glassy fibers that proved useful in the manufacture of laboratory equipment. Method of feeding seriously wounded soldiers Besides her contribution to textile industry, during the Korean War, Benerito developed a way to give fat intravenously to patients who were too sick to eat—a method used to feed seriously wounded soldiers. Awards 1964 USDA Distinguished Service Award 1968 Federal Woman Award 1968 Southern Chemist Award 1970 Garvan Medal 1971 Southwest Regional Award of American Chemical Society 1981 Honorary degree, Tulane University 1984 Woman of Achievement at World's Fair 2002 Lemelson-MIT Lifetime Achievement Award 2008 National Inventors Hall of Fame induction References External links 2008 Chicago Tribune biography Patents by Inventor Ruth R. Benerito 1916 births 2013 deaths 20th-century American chemists 20th-century American inventors 20th-century American women scientists American women chemists Recipients of the Garvan–Olin Medal Scientists from New Orleans Textile scientists Tulane University alumni Women inventors United States Department of Agriculture people 21st-century American women H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College alumni