Using Biosurfactants from Plants to Treat Chicken Feathers into a Green Oil Absorbent Material

Abstract

While feathers are still commonly regarded in many places as waste, in many developed countries it has been considered a valuable by-product of the poultry industry. The poultry industry of Vietnam has achieved encouraging achievements in the past 10 years. The total flock of poultry from 100 million to now has reached nearly 467 million. Though light as a feather, with the vast quantities of chickens produced annually, the number of feathers produced is considerable. Research has shown that the feathers have hydrophobic properties and can therefore be used to make products that absorb oil. However, the use of large amounts of toxic detergents to clean chicken feathers in reported studies has reduced the environmental significance of agricultural waste reuse. In this study, we evaluated the possibility of replacing toxic cleaning agents with eco-friendly natural cleaners in the handling of chicken feathers. Water-based extracts of soapnuts and bo-ket fruits have been selected for our study due to their high saponin content - an effective cleaning agent, and have been used as a dishwashing liquid or shampoo for a long-time by local housewives. Our study showed that natural detergents derived from soapnuts have been shown the ability to remove lards on the plastic surface, and to clean chicken feathers, thereby increasing their capacity to absorb various oils including cooking oil, used cooking oil, and lubricant oil. We have also created an oil-absorbing pillow containing soapnut extract-treated chicken feathers with a maximum efficiency of 16.8 g/g in absorbing lubricant oil. Our research opens new avenues for the use and treatment of poultry feathers, contributing to the reduction of solid waste from the poultry industry by methods which is friendlier to the environment. The greenness of the created absorber is guaranteed.