title: Biothermoplastics from hydrolyzed and citric acid crosslinked chicken feathers.
abstract: We demonstrate a novel approach of developing thermoplastic films from feathers by alkaline hydrolysis and crosslinking with citric acid. Unlike previous approaches that used toxic chemicals, complicated and/or expensive methods to develop films, in this research, feathers were hydrolyzed using various concentrations of alkali and the hydrolyzed feathers were compression molded into films using glycerol as plasticizer and crosslinked with citric acid to improve water stability. Alkali hydrolyzed feathers could be compression molded into films with tensile strength of 5.9 MPa and elongation of 31.7% but had poor wet strength. Feather films crosslinked with citric acid had tensile strength of 1.9 MPa and elongation of 24.6% after being in 90% humidity at 21 °C for 24 hours. Alkaline hydrolysis and citric acid crosslinking provides an opportunity to develop inexpensive and biodegradable thermoplastics from the inexpensive, renewable and sustainable poultry feathers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Textiles, Merchandising & Fashion Design, 234, HECO Building, East Campus, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0802, USA.
authors.forename: Narendra
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.forename: Lihong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yiqi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000468:Alkalies / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002152:Calorimetry, Differential Scanning; D002645:Chickens; D019343:Citric Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019245:Compressive Strength / Q000187:drug effects; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005241:Feathers / Q000187:drug effects*; D006813:Humidity; D006868:Hydrolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010969:Plastics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013696:Temperature; D013718:Tensile Strength / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000468:Alkalies; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D010969:Plastics; D019343:Citric Acid
keywords: Biodegradable films; Crosslinking; Feathers; Thermoplastics