3.4 Availability of Raw Materials
39
Table 3.1 Chitin yield reported from different sources
Chitin source
Chitin yield Extraction method
References
Shrimp shell
13.4%
Ammonium-based ionic
liquids
Tolesa et al. (2019)
Sea snail
21.65%
Alkali and acid
Mohan et al. (2019)
Crab shell
6.9%
7.5%
34.4%
Fermentation
Alkali and acid
Fermentation
Castro et al. (2018)
Castro et al. (2018)
Flores-Albino et al.
(2012)
Nile tilapia
20%
Alkali and acid
Boarin-Alcalde and
Graciano-Fonseca
(2016)
Beetle (Holotrichia
parallela)
15%
Alkali and acid
Liu et al. (2012)
Penicillium camemberti
18%
Alkali and acid
Aili et al. (2019)
Mushrooms
Stipes
7.4%
Alkali and acid
Hassainia et al. (2018)
Pileus
6.4%
Gills
5.9%
Other than their use for chitin production, the shells of crustaceans also find use
in agriculture for use as soil nutrient and organic fertilizers. While chitosan can
act as an adsorbent to remove impurities from water, the shells in crude form just
grounded and dried show superior adsorbent property compared to pure chitin. At a
concentration of 2.1 mg/mL, the non-treated shrimp shells are capable of removing
textile dyes from wastewater (Massimilian and Ludovico 2016). Therefore, the chitin
and chitosan manufacturers need to consider the competition from other applications
of the aquatic resource.
3.5 Extraction of Chitin
Chitin in nature always exists as a composite or in a complex embedded alongside
other compounds such as proteins, glucans, minerals and other compounds within the
organism. Therefore, obtaining pure chitin requires treatment stages to isolate it from
the other components; some of these could also be useful components for other applications. Extraction processes of chitin from the shells of crustaceans generally involve
the same process of demineralization, deproteinization and decolorization followed
by further separation and purification. Several concentrations and conditions have
been reported from different research groups.
A summary of the processes involved in the extraction of chitin is given in Fig. 3.3.
The exact process involved in achieving each stage varies based on biomass used
and method being employed.
39
Table 3.1 Chitin yield reported from different sources
Chitin source
Chitin yield Extraction method
References
Shrimp shell
13.4%
Ammonium-based ionic
liquids
Tolesa et al. (2019)
Sea snail
21.65%
Alkali and acid
Mohan et al. (2019)
Crab shell
6.9%
7.5%
34.4%
Fermentation
Alkali and acid
Fermentation
Castro et al. (2018)
Castro et al. (2018)
Flores-Albino et al.
(2012)
Nile tilapia
20%
Alkali and acid
Boarin-Alcalde and
Graciano-Fonseca
(2016)
Beetle (Holotrichia
parallela)
15%
Alkali and acid
Liu et al. (2012)
Penicillium camemberti
18%
Alkali and acid
Aili et al. (2019)
Mushrooms
Stipes
7.4%
Alkali and acid
Hassainia et al. (2018)
Pileus
6.4%
Gills
5.9%
Other than their use for chitin production, the shells of crustaceans also find use
in agriculture for use as soil nutrient and organic fertilizers. While chitosan can
act as an adsorbent to remove impurities from water, the shells in crude form just
grounded and dried show superior adsorbent property compared to pure chitin. At a
concentration of 2.1 mg/mL, the non-treated shrimp shells are capable of removing
textile dyes from wastewater (Massimilian and Ludovico 2016). Therefore, the chitin
and chitosan manufacturers need to consider the competition from other applications
of the aquatic resource.
3.5 Extraction of Chitin
Chitin in nature always exists as a composite or in a complex embedded alongside
other compounds such as proteins, glucans, minerals and other compounds within the
organism. Therefore, obtaining pure chitin requires treatment stages to isolate it from
the other components; some of these could also be useful components for other applications. Extraction processes of chitin from the shells of crustaceans generally involve
the same process of demineralization, deproteinization and decolorization followed
by further separation and purification. Several concentrations and conditions have
been reported from different research groups.
A summary of the processes involved in the extraction of chitin is given in Fig. 3.3.
The exact process involved in achieving each stage varies based on biomass used
and method being employed.