Due to its environment-friendly features and high energy potential, hydrogen can be an ideal energy carrier for the future. However, there still are serious problems in the production and storage of hydrogen. The Department of Energy's (DOE) 2010 and 2015 hydrogen storage targets are quite challenging in terms of gravimetric capacity (6 wt% and 9 wt% respectively), volumetric capacity (45 and 81 grams H2 per L), storage cost ($4 and $2 per kWh respectively) and practical usage i.e., safety, short refueling time and long cycle life. Chicken feather fibers (CFF), which are an agricultural waste, have great potential to become main hydrogen storage material because of their hollow structure and low cost. When 92% keratin chicken feathers are carbonized by controlled pyrolysis, it is observed that the hollow structure of the keratin fibers does not change. Their surface area increases by the formation of fractals and micropores and their mean pore diameter decreases down to 5 Ǻ thus enabling more hydrogen adsorption than raw (untreated) feather fibers. The main objectives of this study are investigating the details of the carbonization process of feather fibers, modifying and decorating their surface for higher hydrogen storage capacities. Hydrogen storage, pyrolysis, nitrogen adsorption, XPS and FTIR measurements will be presented.

This project was supported by the National Research Initiative of the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, grant number 2005-35504-16137.