Preparation and Dimensional Stability of Organo-Montmorillonite (O-MMT) Treated Unsaturated Polyester Hybrid Composites Filled with Keratin Fiber

O-MMT treated unsaturated polyester based hybrid composites were prepared using keratin fiber obtained from chicken feathers. Fibers of similar dimension were selected to fabricate composites through hand lay-up method. The preparation and dimensional stability properties of keratin fiber as reinforcements in composites is outlined in this paper. Varying O-MMT contents in nancomposites is performed to investigate the effects on the dimensional stability (water absorption and thickness swelling) of the composites. Results indicated that increasing fiber content deteriorates dimensional stability of the composites and composites. However, improvements in dimensional stability of the keratin fibercomposites were observed with O-MMT. O-MMT treatment reduces the water absorption and thickness swelling, especially at 5wt% of O-MMT concentrationat all range of fiber content. At 5wt% concentration of O-MMt, 10wt% keratin fiber content marks the lowest water absorption and thickness swelling with rate of 0.65% and 1.93%, respectively. Adopting 10wt% of keratin fiber at 5wt% of O-MMT can be utilized for application requiring high dimensional stability.

The Internal Dynamic Mechanical Loss in α-Keratin Fibers during Moisture Sorption

The dynamic mechanical loss in α-keratin fibers such as wool and horse hair can be measured by the phase difference “φ” between the oscillating extension applied to the fiber and the resultant oscillatory force. When the environment of a fiber is changed from dry to more moist conditions, the value of φ has a maximum at the point in time when the swelling of the fiber reaches a maximum. This phenomenon parallels others already observed and confirms the general picture that during sorption the molecular structure of a keratin fiber has a maximum mobility. It follows that any applied deformation at this stage will reach structural equilibrium in the shortest time.