3 research outputs found
Renewable Energy from Livestock Waste Valorization: Amyloid-Based Feather Keratin Fuel Cells
Increasing
carbon emissions have accelerated climate change, resulting
in devastating effects that are now tangible on an everyday basis.
This is mirrored by a projected increase in global energy demand of
approximately 50% within a single generation, urging a shift from
fossil-fuel-derived materials toward greener materials and more sustainable
manufacturing processes. Biobased industrial byproducts, such as side
streams from the food industry, are attractive alternatives with strong
potential for valorization due to their large volume, low cost, renewability,
biodegradability, and intrinsic material properties. Here, we demonstrate
the reutilization of industrial chicken feather waste into proton-conductive
membranes for fuel cells, protonic transistors, and water-splitting
devices. Keratin was isolated from chicken feathers via a fast and
economical process, converted into amyloid fibrils through heat treatment,
and further processed into membranes with an imparted proton conductivity
of 6.3 mS cm–1 using a simple oxidative method.
The functionality of the membranes is demonstrated by assembling them
into a hydrogen fuel cell capable of generating 25 mW cm–2 of power density to operate various types of devices using hydrogen
and air as fuel. Additionally, these membranes were used to generate
hydrogen through water splitting and in protonic field-effect transistors
as thin-film modulators of protonic conductivity via the electrostatic
gating effect. We believe that by converting industrial waste into
renewable energy materials at low cost and high scalability, our green
manufacturing process can contribute to a fully circular economy with
a neutral carbon footprint
Renewable Energy from Livestock Waste Valorization: Amyloid-Based Feather Keratin Fuel Cells
Increasing
carbon emissions have accelerated climate change, resulting
in devastating effects that are now tangible on an everyday basis.
This is mirrored by a projected increase in global energy demand of
approximately 50% within a single generation, urging a shift from
fossil-fuel-derived materials toward greener materials and more sustainable
manufacturing processes. Biobased industrial byproducts, such as side
streams from the food industry, are attractive alternatives with strong
potential for valorization due to their large volume, low cost, renewability,
biodegradability, and intrinsic material properties. Here, we demonstrate
the reutilization of industrial chicken feather waste into proton-conductive
membranes for fuel cells, protonic transistors, and water-splitting
devices. Keratin was isolated from chicken feathers via a fast and
economical process, converted into amyloid fibrils through heat treatment,
and further processed into membranes with an imparted proton conductivity
of 6.3 mS cm–1 using a simple oxidative method.
The functionality of the membranes is demonstrated by assembling them
into a hydrogen fuel cell capable of generating 25 mW cm–2 of power density to operate various types of devices using hydrogen
and air as fuel. Additionally, these membranes were used to generate
hydrogen through water splitting and in protonic field-effect transistors
as thin-film modulators of protonic conductivity via the electrostatic
gating effect. We believe that by converting industrial waste into
renewable energy materials at low cost and high scalability, our green
manufacturing process can contribute to a fully circular economy with
a neutral carbon footprint
From Soy Waste to Bioplastics: Industrial Proof of Concept
The
global plastic waste problem is pushing for the development
of sustainable alternatives, encouraged by stringent regulations combined
with increased environmental consciousness. In response, this study
presents an industrial-scale proof of concept to produce self-standing,
transparent, and flexible bioplastic films, offering a possible solution
to plastic pollution and resource valorization. We achieve this by
combining amyloid fibrils self-assembled from food waste with methylcellulose
and glycerol. Specifically, soy whey and okara, two pivotal protein-rich
byproducts of tofu manufacturing, emerge as sustainable and versatile
precursors for amyloid fibril formation and bioplastic development.
An exhaustive industrial-scale feasibility study involving the transformation
of 500 L of soy whey into ∼1 km (27 kg) of bioplastic films
underscores the potential of this technology. To extend the practicality
of our approach, we further processed a running kilometer of film
at the industrial scale into transparent windows for paper-based packaging.
The mechanical properties and the water interactions of the novel
film are tested and compared with those of commercially used plastic
films. By pioneering the large-scale production of biodegradable bioplastics
sourced from food byproducts, this work not only simultaneously addresses
the dual challenges of plastic pollution and food waste but also practically
demonstrates the feasibility of biopolymeric building block valorization
for the development of sustainable materials in real-world scenarios