Researchers succeed in generating clean electricity from chicken feathers

Weather of Arabia - The food industry produces huge amounts of waste and by-products, and this includes poultry production. The industry usually disposes of this waste by burning, and it is estimated that about 40 million metric tons of chicken feathers are burned annually, and this burning causes the release of large quantities of Carbon dioxide and the production of toxic gases harmful to public health, such as sulfur dioxide gases.

In order to overcome this environmental crisis, researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore have developed a new method for dealing with chicken feathers. They aim to benefit from it to generate clean electricity using hydrogen fuel cells instead of burning this waste, in order to reduce environmental pollution.

Using chicken feathers to generate electricity using a fuel cell membrane

Researchers have succeeded in developing a membrane for a sustainable fuel cell using chicken feathers . The hydrogen fuel cell is one of the chemical technologies that enables the conversion of hydrogen and oxygen into electricity. In this process, the hydrogen is reacted with oxygen to produce an electric current.

Based on their study published in the journal Applied Materials and Interventions , the researchers used chicken feathers as a renewable source to produce clean, sustainable energy. The efficiency and cost of fuel production were improved using this approach. The scientific team developed a fuel cell membrane made of a substance called keratin, which is found In large quantities in chicken feathers, keratin is a type of insoluble protein, found in various parts of living organisms such as birds, reptiles and mammals, and contributes significantly to the formation of structures such as hair, nails and skin.

Using keratin from chicken feathers in environmentally friendly energy production

According to the statement issued by the Swiss Federal Institute, the researchers relied on a simple and environmentally friendly process to produce energy. They took an initial step that involved extracting the protein keratin from chicken feathers and turning it into very fine fibers known as amyloid fibrils.

Keratin fibers were used to create a fuel cell membrane, generating electricity without producing carbon dioxide or harmful emissions. In addition, these cells produce only heat and water, and the Swiss institute indicates that this discovery may be important as a source of sustainable energy in The receptor, because the membrane used in fuel cells is semipermeable, allows protons to pass through, while blocking electrons, forcing them to flow through an external circuit from the negative anode to the positively charged cathode, producing an electrical current.

This innovation is characterized by its environmental friendliness, as it differs from traditional membranes made with toxic and expensive chemicals, which do not easily decompose in the environment. Instead, the new membrane is characterized by being made mainly of biological keratin, which is an environmentally compatible material and available in large quantities, as keratin forms 90% chicken feather composition.

Challenges of converting hydrogen into a sustainable energy source

There are additional challenges to overcome before hydrogen can become a sustainable source of energy, and in this context, Rafael Mezenga, professor of food and soft materials at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, expresses his efforts that have continued for several years in searching for multiple ways to utilize food waste in an environmentally friendly way. And public health within renewable energy systems.

Mezenga points out that this new membrane could make a significant contribution in the future, as it could be used not only in fuel cells, but also in water analysis. In the electrolysis process, a direct electrical current is passed through the water, which leads to the formation of oxygen at the anode. Positively charged, hydrogen is released at the negatively charged cathode, indicating that pure water often requires the addition of acids to perform this process efficiently; Because it does not conduct enough particles, however, the new membrane is permeable to protons, allowing particles to be transferred between the anode and cathode efficiently even in pure water. A future step for the researchers will be to verify the stability and durability of this keratin-based membrane and improve it if necessary.

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Sources:

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