Bio-based thermal insulating panels for clothing using domestic parakeet feathers as filling: a comparative study

A growing demand for use of sustainable and eco-friendly materials in the textile industry has made it crucial to explore alternative fillers for thermal insulation panels of clothing. The current study investigates the possibility of using bio-based material, i.e., parakeet feathers in thermal insulation applications, as replacement of conventional filling materials. Two groups namely natural fibers and synthetic fibers were used for the comparative study. The former group included novel parakeet feathers (PF), kapok fibers (KF), and goose down (GO), while later included polyester waddings of varying thicknesses. Thermal insulation and air permeability of these fibers were studied, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to examine the effect of fiber type on thermal resistance and air permeability. In Group 1, PF had the greatest mean thermal resistance value and fiber type strongly correlated with thermal resistance. KF had the lowest air permeability rating among natural fibers. ANOVA showed considerable thermal resistance variation between synthetic fiber types in Group 2 as well. Polyester wadding with 15-mm thickness has the highest thermal insulation. To determine fiber type differences, Tukey Honestly Significant Difference (HSD) tests were done. Both groups’ Tukey HSD tests confirmed thermal resistance and air permeability differences. The study concludes that using parakeet feathers as a substitute for goose down can reduce the environmental impact of conventional insulation materials while promoting sustainable and ethical practices in the textile industry. Graphical Abstract