Mechanical Behavior Optimization of Chitosan Extracted from Shrimp Shells as a Sustainable Material for Shopping Bags.

Giacomo D’Angelo,Nicola Everitt,Marwa Faisal,Amal Elhussieny,I Fahim

doi:10.3390/jfb9020037

Giacomo D’Angelo, Nicola Everitt + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb9020037

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Abstract

The use of biodegradable materials for shopping bag production, and other products made from plastics, has recently been an object of intense research—with the aim of reducing the environmental burdens given by conventional materials. Chitosan is a potential material because of its biocompatibility, degradability, and non-toxicity. It is a semi-natural biopolymeric material produced by the deacetylation of chitin, which is the second most abundant natural biopolymer (after cellulose). Chitin is found in the exoskeleton of insects, marine crustaceans, and the cell walls of certain fungi and algae. The raw materials most abundantly available are the shells of crab, shrimp, and prawn. Hence, in this study chitosan was selected as one of the main components of biodegradable materials used for shopping bag production. Firstly, chitin was extracted from shrimp shell waste and then converted to chitosan. The chitosan was next ground to a powder. Although, currently, polyethylene bags are prepared by blown extrusion, in this preliminary research the chitosan powder was dissolved in a solvent and the films were cast. Composite films with several fillers were used as a reinforcement at different dosages to optimize mechanical properties, which have been assessed using tensile tests. These results were compared with those of conventional polyethylene bags used in Egypt. Overall, the chitosan films were found to have a lower ductility but appeared to be strong enough to fulfill shopping bag functions. The addition of fillers, such as chitin whiskers and rice straw, enhanced the mechanical properties of chitosan films, while the addition of chitin worsened overall mechanical behavior.

Highlights

Over the last decades, the world has experienced a greater need for synthetic plastics
Jambeck et al [1] reported that eight million metric tons of plastics end up in the oceans every year, which is equal to five grocery bags filled with plastic for every foot of coastline in the world
Chitosan was extracted from shrimp shells waste with two different methods: (i) in the first method, chitosan was extracted from the shrimp shells waste ground with an electric grinder; (ii) in the second method chitosan was extracted from the entire exoskeleton of shrimp shell waste complete with head and tail—without grinding

Summary

Introduction

The world has experienced a greater need for synthetic plastics. Plastics are used in many products due to their attractive qualities, such as being lightweight, flexible, strong, low cost, and having a high moisture resistance Due to their slow degradation, there is a huge waste problem. Jambeck et al [1] reported that eight million metric tons of plastics end up in the oceans every year, which is equal to five grocery bags filled with plastic for every foot of coastline in the world In this environment, plastics can cause numerous difficulties for organisms that often mistake them for food and suffocate, or become entangled in the bags and drown. Plastics can cause numerous difficulties for organisms that often mistake them for food and suffocate, or become entangled in the bags and drown Their annual input into oceans will double in 2025, reaching nearly 20 times the amount of eight million metric tons

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