Extraction and Characterisation of Chitin and Chitosan from waste Fish Scales

Fish scales were demineralized and deproteinized using 3% HCl and NaOH, respectively, to obtain chitin.The chitin was then deacetylated with 40% KOH to convert it to chitosan.Three samples were produced with yields as follows: Sample A (21.6% chitin, 11.5% chitosan), Sample B (32.55% chitin, 42.6% chitosan), and Sample C (35.7% chitin, 47% chitosan).The FTIR absorption regions for both chitin and chitosan were similar, differing only in shifts in absorbance wavelength.The degrees of deacetylation (DD) and viscosity average molecular weights of chitosan samples were determined as: A (35.56%, 41,340 g/mol), B (57.64%, 73,450 g/mol), and C (75%, 108,300 g/mol).XRD analysis indicated reduced crystallinity in chitosan samples B and C compared to sample A. SEM images revealed distinct morphologies between chitin and chitosan.Chitin sample B displayed rough, heterogeneous particles, whereas chitosan samples A, B, and C exhibited smooth, homogeneous surfaces influenced by purity, crystallinity, and the deacetylation process.