Iranian textile engineering researchers from Amir Kabir University of Technology produced a new type of protein nanoparticles from chicken feather through a simple and environmental friendly method.
The product can be used as a sorbent in the elimination of pollutants from industrial wastewater and in the production of polymeric nanocomposites used in various industries, including textile engineering, automobile manufacturing and construction.
Feather is one of the important bi-products in aviculture. Despite the importance of creatine existing in feather, noticeable amount of this product is wasted by being burnt or buried. The researchers tried to use the feathers as a cheap, high-efficient and effective source of protein.
Nowadays, researchers seek new methods to recycle the feathers and to convert them into valuable products. In this research, nanoparticles have been produced from chicken feather through environmental friendly method, which can be used in various industries.
The results showed that the produced nanoparticles have conserved all the characteristics of the feather, including physical, chemical and thermal properties.
Dr. Niloufar Eslahi, one of the researchers, explained the advantages of this method over other common methods. “In this research, we used enzyme hydrolysis and ultrasonic method for the production of nanoparticles from chicken feather. This method has advantages over other methods such as mechanical milling due to the reduction in energy consumption, cost and environmental pollution. The ability to conserve main characteristics of creatine existing in feather without changing its properties or microstructure is among other advantages of this method.”
Results of the research have been published in Particulate Science and Technology, vol. 384, issue 3, March 2014, pp. 242-250.