• 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.