Characteristics of Nanochitosan from Soft Shell Crab Culture Waste in TarakanUsing The Ionic Gelation Method

Abstract

Crab that is undergoing a molting process produces solid waste in the form of shells that can disturb the environment. One of the appropriate technologies that can be utilized in dealing with this waste is the manufacture of nanochitosan. The purpose of this study was to obtain nano-sized chitosan from soft shell crab culture waste by determining the quality of chitosan through analysis of water content, ash, nitrogen, Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) and Particle Size Analyzer (PSA). The material used in this research is crab shells from soft shell crab culture waste. The method used in this research is descriptive quantitative. The results showed that the yield of chitosan produced was 4.67%. The quality of chitosan produced showed 8% water content, 1.5% ash and 4.83% nitrogen. In the FTIR spectra of nanochitosan powder, peaks appear which confirm the bond in chitosan, while in nanochitosan gel it is dominated by the absorption band of H-O which indicates the presence of water as a solvent. The value of the degree of deacetylation of the chitosan nanoparticles produced was 78.43%. The particle size of chitosan by ionic gelation method was 468.1±21.63 nm. The high speed of the magnetic stirrer is able to reduce the chitosan to a stable nano size and prevent agglomeration.