Abstract
A protein/CaCO3/chitin nanofiber complex was prepared from crab shells by a simple mechanical treatment with a high-pressure water-jet (HPWJ) system. The preparation process did not involve chemical treatments, such as removal of protein and calcium carbonate with sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid, respectively. Thus, it was economically and environmentally friendly. The nanofibers obtained had uniform width and dispersed homogeneously in water. Nanofibers were characterized in morphology, transparency, and viscosity. Results indicated that the shell was mostly disintegrated into nanofibers at above five cycles of the HPWJ system. The chemical structure of the nanofiber was maintained even after extensive mechanical treatments. Subsequently, the nanofiber complex was found to improve the growth of tomatoes in a hydroponics system, suggesting the mechanical treatments efficiently released minerals into the system. The homogeneous dispersion of the nanofiber complex enabled easier application as a fertilizer compared to the crab shell flakes.
Highlights
Chitin is a highly abundant carbohydrate polymer occurring primarily in crab shells
Tomato plants treated with protein/chitin nanofiber, chitin nanofiber and distilled water (DW) died at the ninth nanofibers treatment; whereas tomato plants treated with protein/CaCO3/chitin nanofibers or crab shells showed healthy growth
These results indicated that the protein/CaCO3/chitin nanofibers might act as a fertilizer
Summary
Chitin is a highly abundant carbohydrate polymer occurring primarily in crab shells. Crab shells have a hierarchically-ordered organization [1]. We isolated chitin nanofibers from crab shells and prepared them using a simple mechanical treatment [2]. The chitin is prepared from crab shells by treatment with NaOH and HCl aqueous solutions to remove proteins and calcium carbonate [11]. Tomato plants treated with protein/chitin nanofiber, chitin nanofiber and distilled water (DW) died at the ninth nanofibers treatment; whereas tomato plants treated with protein/CaCO3/chitin nanofibers or crab shells showed healthy growth These results indicated that the protein/CaCO3/chitin nanofibers might act as a fertilizer. The 0 pass sample of protein/CaCO3/chitin nanofibers, which was roughly crushed by grinder treatment with two passes, might be a cost-effective material for use as a fertilizer for plant growth
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