Product description

Chitosan is a biopolymer, a polysaccharide, obtained through the deproteinization, demineralization, decolouration and deacetylation of chitin, a biopolymer of N-acetyl- glucosamine, present in the exoskeleton of arthropods (very known from the crustacean shells) and in the cell wall of fungi.

Product application

Chitosan in its different modified forms as well as different degrees of purity can be used in a very wide range of applications. It has interesting technological properties, i.e. antimicrobial, antioxidant and fat binding, due basically it is positively charged in its surface. It is used in industrial applications as food grade flocculant in water treatment and in paper manufacture; in cosmetics in foams; in food applications in edible films or in microencapsulation of ingredients; in pharmacy, in nutritional supplements as fat binder; in aquaculture and ruminant feeding to reduce infections and improve yield; in medicine as material in histocompatible tissues and contact lenses.

Raw materials

The raw materials from marine origin are almost exclusively crustacean shells. The crustacean shell representing around a 3% of the total body weight. Shrimp shells have the highest chitin content, 30-40 %, followed by crab shells, 15-30%.

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Competing Companies

Simplified process Scheme