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A team of materials scientists from Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, the University of Milano-Bicocca, and Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia via Morego, all in Italy, has found a way to use keratin to make a type of biodegradable plastic. In their paper in the journal Matter, the group describes how they combined two well-known keratin processing techniques to make a new kind of bioplastic and outline possible uses for the result.

Over the past several years, scientists around the world have been calling for new materials to replace plastics due to the tendency of such materials to break down into micro-sized particles. Tiny pollutants have been found in virtually every ecosystem on the planet and every animal tested.

It is not yet fully understood what harm they are causing, but some in the medical field suggest they could be the source of many ailments. In response, research efforts have arisen around the globe, looking for new ways to make plastics. In this new effort, a team in Italy has found a way to make a new kind of bioplastic that breaks down easily using keratin.

Keratin is a fibrous protein produced naturally by many animals—it forms the main structural constituent of body parts such as hoofs, horns, feathers, and hair. Because of that, it is generally considered a waste by-product. Some research has been done looking for ways to make useful products from it, but most have found it too difficult to proceed. Current products tend to be powders or additives to other products. In this new effort, the research team found that it could be used as the basis for creating a biodegradable plastic.

The researchers noted that in the past, keratin extraction was used to create long protein strands. It is done by dissolving wool in a urea and sodium metabisulfite solution. They also noted that prior research has shown that a Michael Addition could be used to link thiols in C-C double bonds—it involves placing a material in a mixture of polyethylene glycol and soybean oil acrylate.

To make their new bioplastic, they conducted a keratin extraction using wool and then used the results to carry out a Michael Addition. After cleaning, the team found that it could be formed into solid bioplastic shapes. Further testing will need to be done to learn more about its properties, which the team hopes will lead to possible replacements for conventional plastics.

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