Duck feathers

Unsighdy weeds had overgrown the picturesque duck pond at a company guest house. The company s water treatment specialist was approached for help. He added a herbicide to kill the weeds, but failed to realize that the herbicide also contained a wetting agent. This modification wetted the ducks feathers and the ducks sank. [10]... 

Duck plumage has between one and six (often three) nodes near the tip of the barbule. These nodes are relatively large. The distance between the nodes of a duck feather is very short. Prongs are often found beyond the most distant duck node (but are not used in species identification) (source IDFL). 

Due to a new patented fermentation process it is now possible to get access to natural vegetarian cystine and cysteine. The classical route to these amino acids was the hydrolysis of keratin, like human hair and chicken or duck feathers. 

We should not forget ecological applications. A duck s feathers are not wet-table by water, but if we spill surface active molecules, such as are found in washing-up liquid, into our rivers, the surface tension of the water is reduced. Young s equation shows that cos e is increased and may attain the value unity. At this point, capillary imbibition occurs and water will penetrate duck feathers. Ducks catch cold and die. 

FIGURE 23.9 Duck feather coated with F-POSS (4) with a lapeseed oil droplet (y, = 35.7 mN/m) colored with oil red O (left). Droplet of octane (y, = 21.7 mN/m) on a lotus leaf coated with 4 (center). Droplets of water (y, = 72.1 mN/m), methylene iodine (y, = 50.1 mN/m), methanol (yj = 22.7 mN/m), and octane (y, =21.7 mN/m) on a lotus leaf coated with PMMA and F-POSS (44% wt.) elecirospun fibers, indicating the presence of microscopic pockets of air and the formation of a composite interface. Reproduced with permission from Reference 15. Copyright 2008. 

Duck fever Duck feathers Duck proteins... 

There are, of course, many cases where poor wetting is required. Nature masters this beautifiilly in the case of, for example, duck feathers and lotus leaves (Zhang et al. 2009). Mankind attempts to exploit it with PTFE and other polymers as cooking utensil coatings and raincoat treatments. 

Black duck, Anas rubripes Canada 1975 feathers near smelter vs. reference site Ducks, Anas spp. Poland 1988-91 53 DW vs. 10 DW 65... 

Adult males, age 16 weeks, fed pelleted commercial duck diet for 10 weeks diet formulated to contain 24% lead-contaminated sediment (3400 mg Pb/kg DW sediment = 816 mg Pb/kg DW total diet) 1 of 10 died vs. none in controls survivors had atrophied breast muscles, green staining of feathers around the vent, viscous bile green staining of the gizzard lining, and renal intranuclear inclusion bodies. Blood had 6.1 mg Pb/kg FW, liver had 2.8 mg Pb/kg FW, and feces had 1660 mg Pb/kg DW 61... 

Total PCBs Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos Age 12 months confined to enclosures in lagoon of sewage treatment plant for 100 days then killed whole duck analyzed less feathers, bill, feet, wings, and gizzard contents non-detectable PCB concentrations at start 16,500 FW vs. 4100 FW 3... 

A duck can come out of the water with its feathers already perfectly dry. How can this be ... 

Ducks owe their water-repellent characteristics to the nature of their feathers, which consist of fine, wax-covered barbules c. 8 fim in diameter, separated by air gaps of c. 30 /im. 

Down feathers are used in stuffing pillows, mattresses, and clothing. Most of this type of feather is harvested from domestic ducks and geese. 

Today feathers are again popular in jewellery, most coirunonly hanging in pendant ear-rings or necklaces. They are often dyed, as most of the birds with exotic, coloured plumage are protected by conservation treaties. The feathers used come mosdy from domestic fowl such as ducks, or fium game birds. 

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