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Microcrystalline Keratin: From Feathers To Composite Products

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2011

Walter F. Schmidt*
Affiliation:
Environmental Quality Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD.
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Summary

Molecular order and morphological order are two characteristics of feather fiber that make it unique. The fiber is highly microcrystalline and is very durable, i.e., resistant to both mechanical and thermal stress. Feather structure at the microscopic level is a complicated mixture of straight and branched fibers held together by a central fiber to form specific macroscopic structures. The proper design of processes to incorporate feathers into composite products 1) preserves the fiber's molecular properties and 2) alters its micro-/macroscopic morphology to conform to existing composite process requirements.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2002

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References

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