Photo by V. Miller
May 10, 2006
Feather Fiber and Paint
From Feather to Weather: The Effects of the Amount of Feather Fiber in Latex Paint on the Percentage of Gloss Reduction
Alyssa Ovaitt, 13, Weston, Mo.
Finalist, Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge, 2005
Project background: One sign of a quality paint is its ability to withstand weather. Paints that cannot withstand precipitation lose their gloss. During a previous science project, Alyssa had learned that chicken feathers resist water. She wondered whether adding finely ground feathers to paint would make it more weatherproof.
Tactics and results: Working in a paint laboratory, Alyssa created paints with various percentages of chicken-feather fiber and talc, a substance commonly used to improve paint durability. She applied a base coat of each of her paint samples and measured how glossy each one was. She then subjected the samples to QUV (ultraviolet light) and the Cleveland humidity tests—the paint industry standard tests for weather durability.
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| Photo by V. Miller |
The best-performing paint used 50 percent talc and 50 percent chicken-feather fibers. Alyssa plans further testing with smaller grinds of feathers to help preserve the paint's gloss.
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