• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.577-584
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• 2018

This study was conducted to investigate the potential of chicken feather (CF), which is a by-product in poultry industry, as a partial substitute of wood fiber in the production of wood-based fiberboard. Keratin-type protein constituted the majority of CF, and its appearance did not differ from that of wood fiber. When the formaldehyde (HCHO) adsorptivities of CF compared by its pretreatment type, feather meal (FM), which was pretreated CF with high temperature and pressure and then grounded, showed the highest HCHO adsorptivity. In addition, there was no difference between the adsorbed HCHO amounts, which was measured by dinitrophenylhydrazine method, of scissors-chopped CF and CF beated with an electrical blender. Mechanical properties and HCHO emission of medium-density fiberboards (MDF), which were fabricated with wood fiber and 5 wt% CF, beated CF or FM based on the oven-dried weight of wood fiber, were not influenced by the pretreatment type of CF. However, when the values compared with those of MDF made with just wood fiber, thickness swelling and HCHO emission of the MDF were improved greatly with the addition of CF, beated CF or FM. Based on the results, it might be possible to produce MDF with improved dimensional stability and low HCHO emission if CF, beated CF or FM is added partially as a substitute of wood fiber in the manufacturing process of MDF produced with the conventional urea-formaldehyde resin of $E_1$ grade. However, the use of CF or FM in the production of MDF has a low economic feasibility at the current situation due to the securing difficulty and high cost of CF. In order to enhance the economic feasibility, it requires to use CF produced at small to medium-sized chicken meat plants. More importantly, it is considered that the technology developed from this research has a great potential to make provision for the prohibition of animal-based feed and to dispose environmentally avian influenza-infected poultry.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.126-138
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• 2017

This study was conducted to investigate the potential of chicken feather (CF), which is a by-product in poultry industry, as a raw material of wood adhesives. For the purpose, adhesive resins were formulated with NaOH- and $H_2SO_4$-hydrolyzed CF as well as crosslinkers, and then the properties and water resistance of the adhesive resins against hot water were measured. CF was made of mainly keratin-type protein, and no or very low content of heavy metals was detected. Hydrolysis rate of CF increased as NaOH concentration in hydrolysis solutions increased. However, in order to minimize the loss of adhesive property of protein itself by the severe hydrolysis of CF and to seek its proper hydrolysis conditions, NaOH concentrations in hydrolysis solution determined to adjust to 5%, 7.5% and 10%. In the NaOH-hydrolyzed CF, $H_2SO_4$-hydrolyzed CF as a hardener and crosslinker were added to formulate CF-based adhesive resins. Solid content of the resins ranged from 28.3% to 44.8% depending on hydrolysis conditions and type of crosslinker. Viscosity of the resins at $25^{\circ}C$ was very high. However, when the temperature of the resins was increased to $50^{\circ}C$, the viscosity decreased greatly and thus the resins could be applied as a sprayable resin. Retention rate measured to evaluate the water resistance of adhesive resins was the highest in the cured resin formulated with 5% NaOH-hydrolyzed CF and 5% $H_2SO_4$-hydrolyzed CF of 10% based on the solid weight as a hardener. Retention rate depending on crosslinkers added into adhesive resins was the highest phenol-formaldehyde (PF) followed by melamine-urea-formaldehyde (MUF) and formalin. The retention rate of CF-based adhesives formulated with 5% NaOH-hydrolyzed CF, PF and $H_2SO_4$-hydrolyzed CF of 10% and over did not differ statistically from that of commercial MUF resins. All of CF-based adhesives formulated with PF as a crosslinker and one with 5% NaOH-hydrolyzed CF of 55%, 5% $H_2SO_4$-hydrolyzed CF of 15%, and MUF of 30% on the basis of solid weight could be substituted for commercial urea-formaldehyde resins, From the results, CF can be used as a raw material of wood adhesives if hydrolyzed in proper conditions.

• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.34-45
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• 2016

Global warming and climate change have been caused by combustion of fossil fuels. The greenhouse gases contributed to the rise of temperature between $0.6^{\circ}C$ and $0.9^{\circ}C$ over the past century. Presently, fossil fuels account for about 88% of the commercial energy sources used. In developing countries, fossil fuels are a very attractive energy source because they are available and relatively inexpensive. The environmental problems with fossil fuels have been aggravating stress from already existing factors including acid deposition, urban air pollution, and climate change. In order to control greenhouse gas emissions, particularly CO2, fossil fuels must be replaced by eco-friendly fuels such as biomass. The use of renewable energy sources is becoming increasingly necessary. The biomass resources are the most common form of renewable energy. The conversion of biomass into energy can be achieved in a number of ways. The most common form of converted biomass is pellet fuels as biofuels made from compressed organic matter or biomass. Pellets from lignocellulosic biomass has compared to conventional fuels with a relatively low bulk and energy density and a low degree of homogeneity. Thermal pretreatment technology like torrefaction is applied to improve fuel efficiency of lignocellulosic biomass, i.e., less moisture and oxygen in the product, preferrable grinding properties, storage properties, etc.. During torrefacton, lignocelluosic biomass such as palm kernell shell (PKS) and empty fruit bunch (EFB) was roasted under an oxygen-depleted enviroment at temperature between 200 and $300^{\circ}C$. Low degree of thermal treatment led to the removal of moisture and low molecular volatile matters with low O/C and H/C elemental ratios. The mechanical characteristics of torrefied biomass have also been altered to a brittle and partly hydrophobic materials. Unfortunately, it was much harder to form pellets from torrefied PKS and EFB due to thermal degradation of lignin as a natural binder during torrefaction compared to non-torrefied ones. For easy pelletization of biomass with torrefaction, pellets from PKS and EFB were manufactured before torrefaction, and thereafter they were torrefied at different temperature. Even after torrefaction of pellets from PKS and EFB, their appearance was well preserved with better fuel efficiency than non-torrefied ones. The physical properties of the torrefied pellets largely depended on the torrefaction condition such as reaction time and reaction temperature. Temperature over $250^{\circ}C$ during torrefaction gave a significant impact on the fuel properties of the pellets. In particular, torrefied EFB pellets displayed much faster development of the fuel properties than did torrefied PKS pellets. During torrefaction, extensive carbonization with the increase of fixed carbons, the behavior of thermal degradation of torrefied biomass became significantly different according to the increase of torrefaction temperature. In conclusion, pelletization of PKS and EFB before torrefaction made it much easier to proceed with torrefaction of pellets from PKS and EFB, leading to excellent eco-friendly fuels.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2002

An International Cooperative Biodiversity Group (ICBG) program based at the University of Illinois at Chicago initiated its activities in 1998, with the following specific objectives: (a) inventory and conservation of of plants of Cuc Phuong National Park in Vietnam and of medicinal plants of Laos; (b) drug discovery (and development) based on plants of Vietnam and Laos; and (c) economic development of communities participating in the ICBG project both in Vietnam and Laos. Member-institutions and an industrial partner of this ICBG are bound by a Memorandum of Agreement that recognizes property and intellectual property rights, prior informed consent for access to genetic resources and to indigenous knowledge, the sharing of benefits that may arise from the drug discovery effort, and the provision of short-term and long-term benefits to host country institutions and communities. The drug discovery effort is targeted to the search for agents for therapies against malaria (antimalarial assay of plant extracts, using Plasmodium falciparum clones), AIDS (anti-HIV-l activity using HOG.R5 reporter cell line (through transactivation of the green fluorescent protein/GFP gene), cancer (screening of plant extracts in 6 human tumor cell lines - KB, Col-2, LU-l, LNCaP, HUVEC, hTert-RPEl), tuberculosis (screening of extracts in the microplate Alamar Blue assay against Mycobacterium tuberculosis $H_{37}Ra\;and\;H_{37}Rv),$ all performed at UIC, and CNS-related diseases (with special focus on Alzheimer's disease, pain and rheumatoid arthritis, and asthma), peformed at Glaxo Smith Kline (UK). Source plants were selected based on two approaches: biodiversity-based (plants of Cuc Phuong National Park) and ethnobotany-based (medicinal plants of Cuc Phuong National Park in Vietnam and medicinal plants of Laos). At mc, as of July, 2001, active leads had been identified in the anti-HIV, anticancer, antimalarial, and anti- TB assay, after the screening of more than 800 extracts. At least 25 biologically active compounds have been isolated, 13 of which are new with anti-HIV activity, and 3 also new with antimalarial activity. At GSK of 21 plant samples with a history of use to treat CNS-related diseases tested to date, a number showed activity against one or more of the CNS assay targets used, but no new compounds have been isolated. The results of the drug discovery effort to date indicate that tropical plant diversity of Vietnam and Laos unquestionably harbors biologically active chemical entities, which, through further research, may eventually yield candidates for drug development. Although the substantial monetary benefit of the drug discovery process (royalties) is a long way off, the UIC ICBG program provides direct and real-term benefits to host country institutions and communities.