Feather Paper

CHAPTER 1
The Problem and its Background
Introduction
The Philippines is mainly known as an agricultural country. It is known for having huge amount of plains and fields where crops are planted, which serve as source of our country’s economic development. With that being said, there are significant number of farms around our country that produce crops such as rice and other grains. However, not all farms exclusively produce such products.
Farms also play an important role in one’s nutritional survival. It is in farms that we get the healthy foods that our body needs. It is where we also get the fruits, vegetables, and meat that we eat daily for our healthy living. Farms, therefore, don’t only serve as keys to the economic progress of our country, but also serve as people’s sources for healthy nutritional maintenance. However, crops are not the only ones that our farms have. There are also animals living there for the development of our ecosystem. One of those animals existing in those farms is ducks. Ducks are part of the Filipino culture through the local delicacy, balut (fertilized Itik egg) and salted egg. In February 1998, Walter Schmidt and his colleagues; George Gassner, Mike Line, Rolland Waters and Clayton Thomas received a patent process for extracting chicken feather fibers. Five years earlier, Schmidt used a magnetic resonance spectroscopy to figure out what at the molecular level, made the physical properties of skin and tendons so different. He wanted to compare collagen to another natural biopolymer, and thought: keratin... feathers. Schmidt tried to grind the feathers into a powder and it was really hard. Grinding does not work for the fiber, and only poorly for the quill. Essentially, one has to cut into shorter units. And he thought that the fibers are really tough and durable; why is no one using them? In December 1993, he made paper from feathers.[1] Chickens and ducks are closely related, they are both birds, they are both poultry birds, and they are both farm birds. Both chickens and ducks have feathers that are made of keratin, and keratin is why feathers can be made into paper. So feathers from ducks have the possibility of being made into paper.

Background of the Study The duck industry is a lucrative agricultural industry in the Philippines, because of the local delicacy; balut, which is made from duck eggs. The native duck in the Philippines is called the Pateros duck, or commonly known as Itik. Itik is mainly raised for eggs to make balut and salted egg, but when they have exhausted their limit, they are sold for meat.[2] The poultry industry produces a by-product, and that’s the feathers. Conventionally, they are used as additives to cheap chicken feed, and sometimes they’re just thrown out and composted, that is a waste. We are already running out of natural resources, trees are becoming scarce in the Philippines, forests are slowly disappearing. Also, feathers are waste products of the poultry industry, and utilizing these feathers will make the waste useful. A study conducted by Walter F. Schmidt, an environment chemist utilized chicken feathers to make all sorts of products, like paper, plastic, and even strong plastics used in car dashboards. His discovery of the practical uses of chicken feather was an accident when he was trying to compare collagen to keratin. He discovered the feathers’ use. Feathers are primarily composed of keratin, a protein that makes strong bonds. Keratin is also found in hair, nails, and even animal hooves and horns. Keratin can be extremely strong and hard like the ones found in hooves, but it can also be flexible and soft like the ones found in our hair. The reason why keratin can make strong bonds is because it has cysteine disulfide, and this compound can make disulfide bridges that can make helix shape that is very strong. Sulfur atoms bond to the helix shape and create a fiber that is not readily soluble. With this, feather fibers can be made into paper.[3] Though ducks are less than chickens, there are more than 10 million ducks in the Philippines in 2005, and all their feathers are put to waste.[4] Utilizing this “waste” product will find use for a better, greener future.

Setting of the Study The primary setting of the study is the Philippines. Figure 1 shows the geography and the map of the country. The Itik feathers were gathered in Angono, Rizal. Taytay, Rizal is where the researchers did the paper making process using the feathers; it is also where they tested the paper’s quality in terms of tensile strength. The feathers that were used to make paper were brought to the National Museum of the Philippines in Rizal Park, Manila for authentication. The said feather was used as an alternative for wood cellulose. It was cleaned using ethanol alcohol to dilute alcohol soluble proteins that bacteria grow on that make the feathers smell bad. The researchers got the ethanol from the laboratory of the Basic Education Department of San Beda College Rizal Campus. The preparation of the materials was done in Taytay, Rizal where one of the researchers live. The preparation of the set-up was done also in Taytay, Rizal. Cleaning and gathering of the feathers were done in Angono, Rizal. Figure 2 is a map of Angono province in Rizal. Other minor preparations and research such as library works were done in the Learning Resource Center of the Basic Education Department of San Beda College Rizal Campus. Some information and other related studies about the researchers’ study were taken from the internet and others from the books and printed resources in the Learning Resource Center. The tensile strength test was performed and replicated in the Physics Laboratory of the Basic Eduction Department of San Beda College Rizal Campus.

Figure 1 [5]
The Primary Setting of the Study, the Philippines

Figure 2
Map of Angono province in Rizal. It is where the Itik feathers are collected.
Conceptual Framework Environmentalists and other experts in the field of Environmental Science are alarmed and concerned about the Earth’s environmental status. Issues such as climate change, ozone depletion, pollution, and resource depletion are only few of the many environmental issues Environmentalists strive to solve. Actions such as recycling paper and plastic products, reducing power, energy, and resource consumption, and utilization of alternative energy resources such as wind energy, are only some of the solutions experts have formulated to solve these issues today. The paper industry is now taking action to the alarming state of the environment today. Rather than making use of only wood cellulose in paper making, they are now mixing in waste paper than can be recycled and be used again by the masses. In the Philippines, the Republic Act of 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 is being implemented to help save what’s left of the environment.[6] With these efforts to help save and preserve the environment, this may not be enough, with recycled paper; trees are still being cut down to obtain the cellulose or fiber to make paper. Trees are not only beneficial to the environment but also costly, lumber can be expensive, and cutting them down can mean that there will be fewer materials to firmly hold down the ground and produce oxygen. Itik feathers as a primary component of paper can be beneficial both economically, and environmentally. The feathers have components that can be used in the production of paper. Feathers are put to waste, and don’t cost much, so it will be economically beneficial. Feathers are also solid waste that contributes to the waste products in the word, which is a problem in the environment, so it will also be environmentally friendly too. This research is focused on how effective Itik feathers can be as a primary component in the production of paper. This study is also focused on the quality the Itik feather paper will be producing. Figure 3 shows the schematic diagram of the processes that are undergone during the entire duration of the research. It also shows a synopsis of all the procedures applied.

Collection and Preparation of Materials
Preparation of Materials Needed in the Paper Making Process

Cleaning of Itik Feathers
Authentication of the Itik (AnasPlatyrynchos) Feathers

Cooking of Liquid Starch

Production of Itik feather paper

Construction of Silk Screen

Quality testing of the Itik feather paper

Paper A
70% feathers, 10% wood pulp, 20% waste paper

Paper B
70% feathers, 20% wood pulp, 10% waste paper

Paper D
100% feathers

Paper C
70% feathers, 15% woodpulp, 15% waste paper pulp, 20% waste paper

Paper E COMMERCIAL
Paper D

Paper C

Paper B

Paper A

Collection and Preparation of Materials
Preparation of Materials Needed in the Paper Making Process

Cleaning of Itik Feathers
Authentication of the Itik (AnasPlatyrynchos) Feathers

Cooking of Liquid Starch

Production of Itik feather paper

Construction of Silk Screen

Quality testing of the Itik feather paper

Paper A
70% feathers, 10% wood pulp, 20% waste paper

Paper B
70% feathers, 20% wood pulp, 10% waste paper

Paper D
100% feathers

Paper C
70% feathers, 15% woodpulp, 15% waste paper pulp, 20% waste paper

Paper E COMMERCIAL
Paper D

Paper C

Paper B

Paper A

Figure 3
Schematic Diagram of the Study

Statement of the Problem This study aims to formulate a paper that is mostly composed of Itik (Anas Platyrhynchos HYBRID) feathers as a cheap and more available resource for paper making, and to reduce waste products. Specifically, this study will answer the following:
1. Can Itik (Anas Platyrhynchos HYBRID) feathers be made as paper? 2. Which ratio of materials would be most effective in making handmade paper? 3. Is there any significant difference among the Itik (Anas Platyrhynchos HYBRID) feather paper and commercially made paper in terms of tensile strength?

Hypothesis
Ha: The Itik (Anas Platyrhynchos HYBRID) feathers can be an alternative raw material for paper making.
Ha: A combination of 70% feathers, 10% wood pulp, and 20% waste paper would me most effective in making handmade paper.
Ho: There is no significant difference between the tensile strength of the Itik feather paper and the commercially made paper.

Significance of the Study There were more than 10 million ducks in the Philippines, and commercially, there were more than 2 million of them in 2005.[4] Even today, the number keeps on growing. There is a by-product in the poultry industry; feathers. These feathers are commonly used as an additive to chicken feed, or as compost which is a waste. To compensate with the growing population of ducks in the Philippines and the number of feathers being wasted, the researchers are doing this study to research on a possible use for these feathers, in this case, paper. Paper is a material that people use every day, they use them for projects, reports, or simply just to have something to write on. Paper is one of the most recycled materials today, along with plastics; it’s made primarily of cellulose from wood fiber in trees that are slowly being chopped away by loggers. The use of the Itik feathers as paper will also benefit the environment, as the study aims to make paper that is mostly made up of Itik feathers; therefore using trees that are essential in the oxygen cycle and our survival. Itik (Anas Platyrhynchos HYBRID) feathers were chosen to be an alternative in paper making because Itik is a native duck here in the Philippines. This means that they are common, and with all the duck farms in the country, there will be a long-term supply of it. The use of Itik feathers will also represent a Filipino made product since Itik is a domestic duck. Also, Itik feathers have the fibers needed to make paper.

Scope and Limitations This study aims to use Itik (Anas Platyrhynchos HYBRID) feathers as an alternative in paper making and test them against commercially made paper in terms of tensile strength. Coverage of the study will include information about the Itik (Anas Platyrhynchos HYBRID) feather and its use as the primary component in paper making. The study will also contain the quality of the itik feather paper compared to commercially made paper. It will only compare the feather paper to the commercially made paper – oslo paper - in terms of its tensile strength. However, the study will not cover information about any other species of duck or any other kind of poultry. The study will not contain any more information about other duck feathers as a primary component in paper making. It will also not compare the feather paper to any more kinds of commercially made paper and paper qualities aside from tensile strength. The findings gathered are limited by the results of the experiment. The experiments involved are the testing of the ratio of feathers to additives such as wood pulp and waste paper, and the comparison of tensile strength among the papers.

Definition of Terms
To fully understand the concept of the study, here are some definitions of words used in the study:
ANOVA. Also known as F-test, it was used as a statistical tool in the study to find out if there is a significant difference among groups.
Barbs. Part of the feather to be used as an alternative in paper making.
Bleach. This substance is used to be able to make the paper white.
Commercially made paper. This is the kind of paper used to compare paper qualities between it and the Itik feather paper.
Ethanol. The solution used to dissolve alcohol-soluble proteins that make the feathers smell. This is to prevent foul smell when making the feather.
Feather. The component used to be made into paper, also as the alternative component in paper making.
Itik. A kind of bird which acts as the specimen in which the feathers could be used in paper making that would be gathered from.
Keratin. A kind of protein found in feathers, used to make strong bonds to form paper.
Scheffe’s Test. A statistical tool in the study used to determine where the difference lies.
Silk screen. This equipment is used to squeeze out any excess liquid in the paper mixture.
Tensile strength. A paper quality to be tested between the Itik feather paper and commercial paper’s force required to tear it apart.
Wood pulp. A commercially used raw material in the paper making process that the researchers are going to make an alternative out of.

Notes 1 Amie Barrodale. (n.d.) Interview with Walter Schmidt, a Scientist Who Extracts Fiber From Chicken Feathers and Once Made a Toy Boat From This Fiber. November 14, 2011, http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_apa_format_examples.shtml 2(n.d.) Duck Raising. November 14, 2011, http://www.da.gov.ph/ dawebsite
/duck.pdf
3wiseGeek. (n.d.) What is Keratin?. November 14, 2011, http://www.wisegeek. com/what-is-keratin.htm 4 Hui-Shung (Christie) Chang and Renato Villano. (2008) Technical and Socio-Economic Constraints to Duck Production in the Philippines: A Productivity analysis. November 14, 2011, http://www.pjbs.org/ijps/fin1158.pdf 5 Google Maps. November 14, 2011, http://www.maps.google.com 6(2000) Republic Act No. 9003. November 14, 2011, http://www.chanrobles.com/republicactno9003.htm