Fast as a feather

Chicken feathers could be used to develop the next generation of hydrogen-fuel cells.

The next generation of hydrogen-fuelled cars will do their miles on a gallon of feathers. New research from the University of Delaware has found that tiny hollow and porous tubes found in the fibres of chicken feathers can absorb almost 2% of their weight in hydrogen. The precious waste from poultry kitchens could soon be in demand for other applications, too – such as lightweight, super-strength construction materials. And there’ll be plenty to go round: America’s appetite for finger lickin’ chicken makes their feathers a ‘nuisance commodity’, piling up literally millions of tonnes a year.

This article is part of a series of Weak signals from the future.

27 November 2009