Utilization of Turkey Feather Fibers in Erosion Control Materials

摘要

Currently, between two and four billion pounds of feathers are produced annually by the poultry processing industry. These feathers are usually converted to animal feed in an attempt to recycle it rather than dispose of them in landfills. However, this method can result in diseases being passed along to the ingestors of this feather meal. Until recently there was no method of removing the quill from feather, but a method of effectively stripping the feather fibers from the quill without damaging the fibers has been patented, and as a result research is being conducted to determine uses for these fibers. Current research has focused on creating nonwoven latex bonded fabrics containing turkey feather fibers for utilization as erosion control fabrics. These fabrics have been compared with currently available erosion control fabrics to determine their suitability for this particular purpose.