Project Overview

This project explores possibilities of recycling the fibrous protein keratin, focusing on the application of producing a reusable decontaminant structure for the ocean or even the kitchen sink.  Keratin can be easily found in materials, such as human hair, animal fur, and bird plumes.  Because of the diverse and useful properties of this protein, including heavy metal ion absorption, applications such as filters, decontaminants, and microcapsules are currently being researched.  In the case of this project, human hair will be used to form a mat structure designed to absorb harmful chemicals that are released into the ocean by pollutants.  The goal of this project is to create the optimal decontaminant that is targeted not only for the environment, but also for the household kitchen.  The product needs to be both efficient and cost-effective.  This will come in the form of a mat that is  designed to maximize absorption of harmful chemicals in pollution. The ultimate product is recycled from unwanted sources of keratin and woven into a decontaminant, possibly for the ocean or the kitchen. Since research on this topic is currently limited, the ultimate goal of this project is to gain further knowledge on the possible applications of keratin.