A Feather (not a Tiger) in your Tank?

One day France may be not the only place where you see people driving around with chickens in the back of their vehicles.

Scientists in Delaware, USA, have discovered a remarkable, unexpected and inexpensive way to store hydrogen fuel– using carbonized chicken feather fibres.

The question of storing hydrogen as fuel has traditionally been a enigmatic and expensive dilema. For example, a car with a 75 litre hydrogen storage tank made from carbon nanotubes or metal hydrides– currently two of the best ideas – would add $5.5 million or $30k respectively to the cost of that vehicle.

A storage tank made from carbonized chicken feathers, however, would only increase the cost by a mere $200. The green bio-material would also help to resolve the problem on how to dispose the 2.7 billion kilograms of chicken feathers generated each year by commercial poultry production.