Extraction of degradable bio polymer materials from shrimp shell wastes by two different methods

Chitosan is one of the most widespread biopolymer materials available in nature which is extracted from chitin. The main source of chitosan is the chitin that is extracted from exoskeletons of crustacean, such as shrimp and crabs, which are found in a huge amount of shells waste that produced from seafood companies around the world. The chitosan has several applications such as pharmaceutical, fertilizer and edible coating in food industries. The quality of the chitosan's depends on its extraction method, so in this research work we have studied the effect of grounding shrimp shell waste before the extraction step. The chemical and physical properties of the extracted chitosan were studied by using different techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The study showed that the films and powder produced from non-ground samples showed a higher purity of chitosan and better thermal stability than the chitosan produced from ground samples.