| abstract |
Chitin from microbial biomass is converted to chitosan and recovered as an essentially glucan-free product. The method involves contacting the biomass with a strong alkali solution at a temperature within the range of from 60 DEG to 90 DEG C. for a period of at least 10 hours to form an insoluble chitosan/glucan residue. The chitosan is then recovered by adding dilute acid to the residue to dissolve it without dissolving the glucan which can then be recovered separately. |