A Novel Method for Rapid Extraction Of Biofibres from Waste Chicken Feathers

South Africa is the biggest chicken meat producer in Southern Africa and generates about 258 million kg of waste feathers. Although some of this waste is beneficiated into animal feed and fertiliser there are problems in adequate digestion of the feed by animals. Consequently, there is a need to find other innovative ways of beneficiating the waste. In this paper, beneficiating of feathers by extraction of fibres for possible conversion into high value products was explored. Three mechanical methods for extracting fibres from feathers were evaluated and the properties of the resultant fibres were studied and compared: they were using a tweezer, a blender, and a novel stripping method using a pulp fluffer. The results revealed that fibres extracted from chicken feathers using a tweezer or a blender had a hollow structure whereas those from the fluffer exhibited pronounced damaging effects on the fibre structure as some barbules were detached from their rami. Fluffer fibres had the highest average length of 16.56 mm followed by blender (16.15 mm) and tweezer (14.84 mm); they were also the most flexible with an aspect ratio of 476.29. The modified pulp fluffer appeared to be a cost-effective and an efficient method of grinding feathers into commercial fibres.

Graphite Nanoplatelets from Waste Chicken Feathers

Graphite nanoplatelets (GNPs), a functional 2D nanofiller for polymer nanocomposites, utilize natural graphite as a raw material due to its stacked graphene layers and outstanding material properties upon successful exfoliation into nano-thick sheets. However, the increasing demand for natural graphite in many industrial applications necessitates the use of graphite from waste resources. We synthesized GNPs from waste chicken feathers (WCFs) by graphitizing carbonized chicken feathers and exfoliating the graphitic carbon by high-speed homogenization and sonication. We then separated GNP from non-exfoliated carbon by centrifugation. This paper describes the morphology, chemical, and crystalline properties of WCF and its carbon derivatives, as well as the structural features of WCF-derived carbons. We obtained GNPs that have a 2D structure with huge variations in particle size and thickness. The GNP shows the presence of carbonyl groups, which are mostly attached at the edges of the stacked graphene sheets. Defects in the GNP are higher than in graphene synthesized from direct exfoliation of natural graphite but lower than in graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide. To produce GNP of high quality from WCF, restacking of graphene sheets and concentration of carbonyls must be minimized.

Thermal characterization of a new bio-composite building material based on plaster and waste chicken feathers

The building materials used in Morocco characterized by a low thermal resistance which generates a huge expense in terms of energy consumption. Promoting new sustainable construction and insulation materials become a necessity. This research study aimed to develop the thermal proprieties of plaster building material by mixing it with waste chicken feathers (WCF) in order to be used as wall exterior rendering. For the purpose of determining the thermal properties of the biocomposite material Plaster-WCF, several experimental measurements of thermophysical proprieties had been performed in order to determine apparent density, thermal conductivity, and thermal diffusivity using the hot plate method in steady-state regime and the Flash method, respectively. The results showed that the addition of waste chicken feathers leads to a remarkable reduction in apparent density of about 12.3%, the thermal conductivity and diffusivity have been reduced by about 30.2% and 18%, respectively, which shows the interest of using this biocomposite material in the construction buildings in order to ensure thermal comfort and reduce greenhouse gas emissions (CO2).

FABRICATION OF NANOFIBRES BY ELECTROSPINNING USING KERATIN FROM WASTE CHICKEN FEATHERS, PVA AND AgNPs

Objective: To prepare and characterise keratin from chicken feathers (CF), collected from the slaughter house, and to blend with poly vinly alcohol (PVA) and biosynthesised silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and to convert into nanofibers by an elctrospinning process. Methods: The extraction of keratin from chicken feathers was done by sodium m-bisulphite. The solution was subjected to ammonium sulphate precipitation to separate keratin. The nanoparticles was synthesised using tridax procumbens. The isolated keratin and PVA was mixed in the ration 0f 50:50 with 1 ml of biosynthesised nanoparticles was blended and made into nanofibres by electrospinning technique. Results: The precipitated protein was analysed using FT-IR analysis confirming the presence of β-keratin in the sample isolated from chicken feathers and the concentration of keratin was estimated to be 1.85 g/ml. PVA solution with 4% w/v had the best film forming ability. The solution containing keratin, PVA and silver nanoparticles was prepared in various proportions. These solutions when subjected to electrospinning, fibrous network was observed in 50:50 (PVA: Keratin) ratio with 1 ml of synthesised silver nanoparticle solution. Hydrogen bonding between keratin and PVA indicated in the XRD analysis showed successful film forming of the nanofiber, the DSC analysis also showed similar results as the obtained peak was at 214 °C which is in between the characteristic heat degradation temperature of both the keratin and PVA. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed high thermal stability as the complete degradation of the nanofiber was observed at 420 °C. Incorporation of metal nanoparticles by herbal approach using tridax procumbens in the nanofibers provided the antimicrobial properties. The nanofibres obtained by electrospinning process appeared stable and continous for solutions containing no more than 50% wt of CF. The average diameter of the nanofibres increased as the CF content increased. Conclusion: Keratin isolated from the waste chicken feathers impregnated with biosyntheised silver nanoparticles using tridax procumbens and PVA can be converted into nanofibers by electrospinning process. Thus, the biocomposite nano fibers are shown as a novel eco-friendly material that must be adequately applied in the development of green composites for the biomedical applications such as wound dressings.