Storing Hydrogen with Chicken Feathers

Hydrogen is often mentioned as the key to future clean energy development, and many car companies are already working to design hydrogen-powered vehicles. Although it’s very efficient, hydrogen is not very dense, so it’s hard to store in a small space, and there are cost and safety issues associated with compressing it.

Scientists have been seeking other ways to get more hydrogen in an average-size car gas tank. One proposed solution has been to put something in the tank that the hydrogen molecules can stick to, increasing the surface area for storage. A pair of researchers at the University of Delaware were working on finding uses for the billions of pounds of chicken feathers the poultry industry throws out every year, and thought of hydrogen storage.

Their work proves that low-cost hydrogen storage is possible. Chicken feathers are made of keratin, the same stuff that makes up human nails and hair. Under a special heating process called pyrolysis, the chicken feather keratin forms porous, carbonized tubes, perfect for storing hydrogen molecules. Comparable carbon nanotubes created in a lab are too expensive to use in cars, but the chicken feather version costs under $200.

Could your future car be full of feathers? Possibly, but the Delaware research team points out hydrogen fueled cars won’t be widely available for some time. Meanwhile, they’re at work on other applications for their chicken feather discovery, like car parts and circuit boards.

(Photo by Just chaos via Flickr/Creative Commons)