Manufacturing of composites from chicken feathers and polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

Abstract

The compatibility of composite materials depends on proper selection of the matrix and the reinforcement compound, because the interactions between the matrix and the reinforcement play an important role to obtain good and improved properties in the wanted composite. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a polymer with several applications areas but has limitations because of its mechanical properties and its thermal stability, which can be modified with addition of additives as reinforcements. Chicken feather quill (CFQ), a waste material whose main component is keratin a protein with good properties, has been used as polymer matrices reinforcement. In this work PVC-CFQ composites were prepared in order to obtain PVC with improved properties. The thermal and thermomechanical behavior of the compounds were evaluated by means thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) as well as morphology of the composites by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Another variable to be studied was the effect of addition of a coupling agent in the composite and the differences between the materials without additive and with additive are reported.