Technological watch

The present invention provides a process for the production of a feather-based thermoplastic material comprising the following steps in the specified order (a) subjecting feathers to steam explosion, (b) drying the exploded feathers resulting from step (a), (c) fragmenting the dried feathers resulting from step (b), and (d) incorporating by extrusion the feather fragments resulting from step (c) into a thermoplastic matrix. The invention also provides an extruded feather-based thermoplastic material obtainable by the process of the invention, and an article comprising said extruded feather-based thermoplastic material.