@article{9ce0a18957f64c578e2c05500b691f6f,
title = "Controlled assembly of secondary keratin structures for continuous and scalable production of tough fibers from chicken feathers",
abstract = "Tough keratin fibers from chicken feathers have been produced continuously via controlled assembly of secondary protein structures. Though research on utilization of keratinous wastes began decades ago, very few regenerated products with high quality were developed due to damage to the primary structures during extraction and poor recovery of the secondary structures in the regenerated materials. Fibers have the highest quality requirements among the regenerated keratin products, including high toughness and resistance to repeated laundering. Our group developed regenerated keratin fibers on a lab scale previously. However, the regenerated keratin had poor spinnability with low recovery of secondary protein structures. As a result, keratin fibers could not be produced continuously, and their properties, especially the wet strength, were not acceptable. In this paper, high drawing ratios of keratin fibers on a continuous line have been achieved via stepwise oxidation and drawing technology. This technology resulted in controlled assembly of disulfide crosslinkages, optimum recovery of the secondary structures, satisfactory mechanical properties and scalable production of keratin fibers. Furthermore, the use of inexpensive chemicals makes the continuous keratin fiber production developed in this work affordable for scale-up. The technology developed for continuous production of tough keratin fibers has high potential for the development of high quality regenerated products from other cysteine-containing protein materials.",
author = "Bingnan Mu and Faqrul Hassan and Yiqi Yang",
note = "Funding Information: The research has been supported by the Nebraska Environmental Trust (NET Grant 18-116), the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (award number 2019-67021-29940) and the Agricultural Research Division at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The research was performed in part in the Nebraska Nanoscale Facility: National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure and the Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience, which are supported by the National Science Foundation under Award ECCS: 1542182, and the Nebraska Research Initiative. Bingnan is grateful for the John and Louise Skala Fellowship and AATCC Students Grant for their financial support. Faqrul is grateful for Dr Joan Laughlin Fellowship. Special thanks to Angel Torres and Jehad Abourahma in Dr Alexander Sinitskii{\textquoteright}s group for their assistance in Raman spectroscopy. Funding Information: The research has been supported by the Nebraska Environmental Trust (NET Grant 18-116), the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (award number 2019-67021-29940) and the Agricultural Research Division at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The research was performed in part in the Nebraska Nanoscale Facility: National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure and the Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience, which are supported by the National Science Foundation under Award ECCS: 1542182, and the Nebraska Research Initiative. Bingnan is grateful for the John and Louise Skala Fellowship and AATCC Students Grant for their financial support. Faqrul is grateful for Dr Joan Laughlin Fellowship. Special thanks to Angel Torres and Jehad Abourahma in Dr Alexander Sinitskii's group for their assistance in Raman spectroscopy. Publisher Copyright: This journal is {\textcopyright} The Royal Society of Chemistry.",
year = "2020",
month = mar,
day = "7",
doi = "10.1039/c9gc03896e",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "22",
pages = "1726--1734",
journal = "Green Chemistry",
issn = "1463-9262",
publisher = "Royal Society of Chemistry",
number = "5",
}