Poultry Feather Waste as Bio-Based Cross-Linking Additive for Ethylene Propylene Diene Rubber.

ABSTRACT: Most rubbers used today rely on sulphur as a cross-linking agent and carbon black from fossil resources to modify the mechanical properties. A very promising substitute can be found in natural keratins such as feathers. These are not only tough, but also contain a relevant amount of sulphur in the form of disulphide bridges. The present study shows that these can be activated under vulcanisation conditions and then bind covalently to EPDM rubber to form a cross-linked network. Feathers were cut into lengths of 0.08, 0.2, and 1 mm and incorporated at 38, 69, or 100 phr into EPDM mixtures containing either no carbon black or no carbon black nor sulphur. The presence of feather cuttings increases the tensile and compressive strength as well as the hardness, and reduces the rebound resilience.

SUBMITTER: Brenner M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8623415 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature