Properties and optimal manufacturing conditions of chicken feathers/poly(lactic acid) biocomposites

Abstract

Chicken feathers waste from poultry industry was incorporated in poly(lactic acid) matrix to obtain an environmental friendly biocomposite taking advantage of the unique properties of chicken feathers, such as low density, biodegradability and good thermal and acoustic properties, and of the biodegradability of the poly(lactic acid). The effect of manufacturing conditions on the final properties of the composite and on the matrix–fiber compatibility was studied. Optimal manufacturing conditions, in order to obtain the best mechanical results, were found at a temperature of 170–180℃ for a processing time of 5 min and a speed of mixing of 50 r/min. Young’s modulus was not very affected by the chicken feather’s content showing a maximal variation of less than 8%, indicating that is possible to include chicken feathers in a composite maintaining its stiffness. However, tensile strength and elongation decreased up to 58 and 12%, respectively, when chicken feather content was 25% because of the restraining effect of the fibers. Moreover, dimensional stability was negatively affected with the inclusion of chicken feathers. Infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy studies show that fiber–matrix interaction exists but it is weak.