Extracting value from waste wool

Flinders University researchers have used a non-toxic, biodegradable chemical process to ‘dissolve’ waste wool and unwanted woollen products. The technique produces a high-value protein called keratin and other by-products with potential applications in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical and even animal feed markets.

“Sheep wool is clearly an abundant biomaterial, with the wool-weaving industry worldwide discarding tonnes of low-grade, non-spin wool fibres every year and much more landfill from wool garments from human waste,” said Dr Ramiz Boulos, who worked on the technology with Professor Colin Raston, Dr Katherine Moore, Daniel Mangos and Dr Ashley Slattery.

“Our system makes use of a waste stream, deemed unsuitable for the clothing industry, to produce an additional revenue source.”

The researchers explained that a benign eutectic melt is used to break down the wool, creating the opportunity for the valuable keratin to be extracted with simple dialysis techniques. Once refined and freeze-dried to form a protein powder, the nanomaterials can be used for a range of products — from wound healing in bandages to animal feedstock.

“The final product would be highly useful for electrospinning to form keratin bandages or for implantation into a hydrogel, both of which have demonstrated clear wound-healing advantages,” said Professor Raston.

Writing in the journal RSC Advances, the researchers describe their method as simple, efficient and environmentally friendly.

Image caption: Professor Raston and Dr Boulos with dirty wool cleansed by the new green chemistry technique.

Originally published here.