Feather Fiber‐Based Thermoplastics: Effects of Different Plasticizers on Material Properties

Abstract Poultry feather fiber is transformed into biothermoplastics using a twin screw extruder, and the plasticizing effect of four different plasticizers on the material properties is investigated. Conformational changes, viscoelastic behavior, thermal degradation, and phase transitions are assessed by means of FTIR spectroscopy, DMA, TGA, and DSC, respectively. The mechanical properties of the plasticized resins are assessed by tensile measurements, while optical transmittance is recorded using UV‐Vis spectrophotometry. The water uptake behavior of the fiber keratin and plasticized resins is also investigated. magnified image