Graphite Nanoplatelets from Waste Chicken Feathers

Graphite nanoplatelets (GNPs), a functional 2D nanofiller for polymer nanocomposites, utilize natural graphite as a raw material due to its stacked graphene layers and outstanding material properties upon successful exfoliation into nano-thick sheets. However, the increasing demand for natural graphite in many industrial applications necessitates the use of graphite from waste resources. We synthesized GNPs from waste chicken feathers (WCFs) by graphitizing carbonized chicken feathers and exfoliating the graphitic carbon by high-speed homogenization and sonication. We then separated GNP from non-exfoliated carbon by centrifugation. This paper describes the morphology, chemical, and crystalline properties of WCF and its carbon derivatives, as well as the structural features of WCF-derived carbons. We obtained GNPs that have a 2D structure with huge variations in particle size and thickness. The GNP shows the presence of carbonyl groups, which are mostly attached at the edges of the stacked graphene sheets. Defects in the GNP are higher than in graphene synthesized from direct exfoliation of natural graphite but lower than in graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide. To produce GNP of high quality from WCF, restacking of graphene sheets and concentration of carbonyls must be minimized.