Mechanisms controlling the self-assembly of keratin macromolecules and nanofibrils during fibre spinning

Keratin is a protein abundantly available in multiple waste materials, such as coarse wool, chicken feather or hair.

This project aims to pave the ways to valorise this material by understanding its assembly at different length scales into man-made fibres.

To achieve this, we aim to understand and control the governing mechanisms on the nanoscale, allowing well-defined alignment of macromolecules in solution and high-aspect-ratio nanofibrils in dispersion.

The starting point is to investigate how hydrodynamic forces interact with Brownian motion and macromolecular entanglement at various states of keratin dissolution and concentrations.

By achieving a high degree of alignment with well-controlled process parameters, new sustainable solutions for the fabrication of high-quality keratin-based textiles from Swedish resources will be made possible.