Posted on 11/05/2025 12:20:39 PM PST by Red Badger
Scientists have unlocked a surprising clean energy breakthrough using an unlikely source from the poultry industry.
In a potential breakthrough for green energy technology, scientists at ETH Zurich and Nanyang Technological University Singapore (NTU) have developed a membrane for hydrogen fuel cells made from discarded chicken feathers—an abundant waste product in the global poultry industry.
The new membranes are made from keratin, a structural protein that makes up the bulk of feathers. Extracted and processed into amyloid fibrils, the keratin forms a thin, proton-conductive layer at the heart of a hydrogen fuel cell. According to the research team, the material could replace conventional membranes made with toxic, non-biodegradable fluorinated compounds.
The process, outlined in a study published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces in September 2023, offers a scalable, low-cost alternative with environmental benefits—both in terms of cleaner fuel cell production and reduced waste from poultry processing.
From Agricultural Waste to Clean Energy Globally, the poultry industry generates an estimated 40 million metric tons of feather waste each year, most of which is incinerated. This releases carbon dioxide and toxic gases such as sulfur dioxide, contributing to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Researchers at ETH Zurich and NTU say their method not only avoids these emissions but gives feathers a second life in renewable energy infrastructure.
“Our latest development closes a cycle: we’re taking a substance that releases CO₂ and toxic gases when burned and used it in a different setting: with our new technology it not only replaces toxic substances, but also prevents the release of CO₂, decreasing the overall carbon footprint cycle,” said Raffaele Mezzenga, professor of food and soft materials at ETH Zurich, in a statement from the university.
The process involves extracting keratin using heat and chemical treatments, forming it into amyloid fibrils, and assembling it into a thin, semipermeable membrane. In laboratory tests, these membranes demonstrated a proton conductivity of 6.3 millisiemens per centimeter—sufficient for use in fuel cells, water-splitting devices, and even protonic transistors.
Performance and Cost Advantages
While still in the prototype stage, the feather-derived membrane achieved a peak power density of 25 milliwatts per square centimeter when tested in a hydrogen fuel cell operating on hydrogen and ambient air.
Representation of the components of the fuel cell. In the center is the membrane made of keratin. To the left and right of the membrane is a catalyst. In the outer layer is the anode on one side and the cathode on the other.
A sustainable membrane is produced from the keratin in chicken feathers for use in a fuel cell. (Graphic: ETH Zurich / NTU)
This output is modest compared to commercial fuel cell systems, but the researchers point to other advantages: cost, availability, and biodegradability. Chicken feathers are composed of roughly 90% keratin, making them an abundant, renewable feedstock. The membrane developed by ETH and NTU is already up to three times cheaper to produce than fluoropolymer-based alternatives, according to the ETH news release.
Conventional membranes, such as Nafion, rely on perfluorinated compounds—also known as PFAS, or “forever chemicals.” These synthetic substances do not break down in the environment and are increasingly linked to serious health risks. In 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed drinking water limits for several PFAS compounds, calling them a major threat to public health.
By contrast, the keratin membranes are biocompatible, non-toxic, and environmentally degradable, aligning with growing demand for safer materials in clean energy systems.
Broader Applications and Commercialization Beyond fuel cells, the research team demonstrated the membrane’s use in electrolysis—splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen—as well as in protonic field-effect transistors. The membrane’s ability to support proton transfer without added acids or salts makes it suitable for next-generation electrochemical applications.
The team has filed a patent and is now exploring industrial partnerships for scale-up and commercialization. Before entering the market, the technology will need to prove its durability, chemical stability, and long-term performance under real-world conditions.
Still, the early results suggest that what was once considered waste—chicken feathers—could soon become part of the clean energy toolkit. As hydrogen technologies expand globally, innovations like this may help reduce both cost and environmental impact in the race to decarbonize energy systems.
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Poor little chickens.
Yes I eat chicken, only organic, and pasture-raised eggs. Chickens die, yes, but at least they had reasonably haopy healthy lives. Eggs from local farm so I know birds get good care. in their mobile chicken houses. Not fed chicken “feed”, but worms and lizards and all the protein-riich foods they love found right in the grass.. Someone said he even saw his chicken eat a frog :}.
Trader Joe has pasture=raised eggs year-round and those nice organic thighs,
Yes, my chickens eat frogs................
You and your chickens rock :}
Now lets see the commercial application ... this century.
DOG hair is primarily composed of keratin.
We could power a medium-sized city with a couple of golden retrievers in shedding season (it's always shedding season for goldens, btw).
They’ll eat mice, if they can catch them.
I keep laying hens. Barred Rock and Buff Orpington.
But, I DO have a nice collection of ‘found feathers’ that I’ve collected through the years. Just everyday birds - nothing that’s protected, Officer! ;)
They can install poultry pluckers under the wind turbines so they can use all the eagle, hawk, and migratory geese feathers, too. Win win.
If we ever start with meat birds - and I'm pretty sure we will - I am getting myself one of these, for sure! Plucking a chicken is a major drag - especially for the chicken, LOL!
(JUST KIDDING! You pluck them when they're already dead, City Folk!)
Supposedly you'll have a totally naked chicken in FOURTEEN SECONDS! Yikes! But, a mangled, car-wreck of a chicken in FIFTEEN SECONDS? *SMIRK*
Great info. I like chickens better every day.
My cat? Don’t think she’s ever seen a mouse. She actually eats canned turkey in gravy for dinner every night at 5 when I have a glass of chardonnay, Happy hour at our house.
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