A team of researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB in Germany has devised a method for turning keratin — a type of protein found in hair and nails, and, in this case chicken feathers — into adhesives.

The researchers determined that using chicken feather-derived keratin to produce adhesives is a more sustainable manufacturing process than the traditional approaches that use fossil raw materials such as petroleum.

To make waste feathers usable, the keratin polymers are enzymatically hydrolyzed into short-chain, soluble oligomers. These can then be processed further to make adhesives and other specialty chemicals. Source: Fraunhofer-GesellschaftTo make waste feathers usable, the keratin polymers are enzymatically hydrolyzed into short-chain, soluble oligomers. These can then be processed further to make adhesives and other specialty chemicals. Source: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft

The Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB team is using feathers as a base material instead of petroleum because of its extremely strong fibrous structure. Further, keratin is a biodegradable and thus eco-friendly material.

Making chicken feathers ideally suited for such a process is keratin's polymer structure, featuring extremely long-chain molecules, as well as its ability to undergo cross-linking reactions, the researchers explained.

[See also: Power from poultry: Feathers for fuel cells]

To turn the keratin into an adhesive, the researchers first receive the feathers from the slaughterhouse, which are then sterilized, washed and mechanically shredded. Then an enzyme is introduced that splits the long-chain biopolymers or protein chains into short-chain polymers via hydrolysis. This reportedly produces a platform chemical that functions as a base material for formulating the adhesives.

A patent application has been filed for the new process, the researchers added.

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