Chicken Feather as a Fiber Source for Nonwoven Insulation

“Raw” chicken feathers directly from a processing plant were washed with detergent and dried. Cleaned feathers were mechanically worked to separate fibrous material from the quills and ultimately classified into two components: a fibrous material suitable for further textile processing, and a residue containing large feathers and pieces of quill. The chicken feather fiber was blended with binder fiber (sheath/core construction) and made into nonwoven batting. The battings show effective insulating properties when compared with other battings made from goose down and polyester fiber.