Mechanical Properties of Chicken Feather Fibers

Chicken feather fibers (CFFs) are attractive for composite applications. In this study, mechanical properties of the feather barbs were investigated statistically. The strain at break of CFFs had a Gaussian distribution with a mean value of 6.93%. The tensile modulus of CFFs was 3.59 +/- 1.09 GPa and average tensile strength was 203 +/- 74 MPa, respectively. Both tensile modulus and tensile strength among different feathers were significantly different. The failure of the CFFs followed a Weibull distribution with a scale parameter value of 178.7 MPa and a shape parameter value of 2.32. Overall, the well-investigated mechanical properties of the CFFs are beneficial for the further study of its applications in composite materials. POLYM. COMPOS., 32:937-944, 2011. (C) 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers