Oct 02, 2026
Project partners discuss initial results in the development of novel keratin fibres from wool and chicken feathers
Meeting of the project partners at the ITM
On 1 October 2026, the partners of the collaborative industrial research project KERAFIB met at the Institute of High-Performance Fibre Systems Technology: Medicine, Energy, Mobility, Infrastructure (ITM, formerly the Institute of Textile Machinery and High Performance Material Technology) at TU Dresden to present their initial results, discuss ongoing research activities and coordinate the next steps of the project.
The project focuses on two promising raw materials: mixed wool and chicken feathers. Both contain large amounts of keratin, a natural structural protein, but have so far seen only limited use in high-value textile applications. KERAFIB therefore aims to recover keratin from these residual materials and by-products and convert it into novel fibres suitable for textile processing.
From Wool and Feathers to Functional Textiles
To achieve this, the project partners are developing an integrated, industrially scalable process chain. It covers the entire process, from electron beam-assisted pretreatment of the raw materials, enzymatic and hydrolytic extraction of keratin and preparation of spinnable keratin solutions to the wet spinning of continuous filaments.
The project also aims to develop fibres with specific functional properties. Fibre crimp, hollow structures and electron beam-assisted surface modification are being investigated to tailor surface wettability and moisture management properties. The resulting keratin fibres will then be processed into staple fibres and yarns for the production of textile demonstrators.
KERAFIB thus covers the entire value chain, from underutilised residual materials to functional fibre materials. The project opens up new opportunities for a bio-based circular economy and potential applications in the textile industry, healthcare and medical technology.
Collaboration Across the Entire Value Chain
The KERAFIB consortium brings together SELCO Wirkstoffe Vertriebs GmbH (SELCO), the Institute of High-Performance Fibre Systems Technology: Medicine, Energy, Mobility, Infrastructure (ITM) at TU Dresden, Fourné Maschinenbau GmbH, Wagenfelder Spinnereien GmbH (WFS), the Fraunhofer Institute for Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP and CREAVAC GmbH.
The partners contribute expertise in raw material pretreatment, keratin extraction, fibre and process development, functionalisation and textile processing.
The meeting at ITM provided the first opportunity for all partners to review their results together and coordinate further research activities across the entire process chain.
The KERAFIB collaborative research project started on 1 January 2026 and will run for three years. It is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) under the funding initiative "Future Technologies for the Industrial Bioeconomy" (Zukunftstechnologien für die industrielle Bioökonomie). The project addresses the research areas "Sustainable Bioprocesses for Industry" and "Novel Bioeconomy Products".
The project is administered by Project Management Jülich (PtJ), Bioeconomy Division, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH.