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Eco-friendly purification process of chitin contained in shrimp shells by application of the Definitive Screening Design experiment plan

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Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery
Authors:
Zineb Chiki at Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University
Zineb Chiki
Maryam El Hajam at University of Maine
Maryam El Hajam
Hamza Boulika at Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University
Hamza Boulika
Salima Ben Tahar at Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University
Salima Ben Tahar
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Abstract and Figures

Chitin is a biopolymer contained in shrimp shells, its extraction requires costly and polluting processes. However, it has a wide range of applications, mainly in the pharmaceutical and automotive sectors. The aim of this work is to improve the chitin purification process by using an experimental design to reduce the cost of the process and its effects as much as possible. The "Definitive Screening Design" (DSD) discovered in 2011, offers an attractive alternative to existing designs by screening and optimizing at the same time. The quality of the obtained biopolymer was expressed by crystallinity index that was extracted from the X-ray diffraction (XRD) data, which reveals a crystallinity index (CrI%) about 87% for optimal values of 0.5 M for the concentration of acid chloride and 40 °C for the demineralization temperature for three hours. To identify the chitin and assess its quality a parameter called acetylation degree was calculated from Fourier Transform Infrared spectrophotometry (FT-IR) results, that revealed an optimal value about 77% for an acid chloride concentration of 1.5 M, a sodium hydroxide concentration of 0.5 M, and a temperature of 40 °C for the demineralization and deproteinization steps. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis was performed to observe the morphology of purified chitin, which reveals a homogeneous surface with block formation while using HCl as demineralization agent in the process, so it is considered the most suitable acid to use in this step. Graphical Abstract
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Vol.:(0123456789)
Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery
https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-024-05868-9
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Eco‑friendly purification process ofchitin contained inshrimp shells
byapplication oftheDefinitive Screening Design experiment plan
ZinebChiki1· MaryamElHajam2· HamzaBoulika1· SalimaBenTahar1· MeryemHajjiNabih1· Taj‑DineLamchar1·
NoureddineIdrissiKandri1
Received: 27 February 2024 / Revised: 29 May 2024 / Accepted: 13 June 2024
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2024
Abstract
Chitin is a biopolymer contained in shrimp shells, its extraction requires costly and polluting processes. However, it has a
wide range of applications, mainly in the pharmaceutical and automotive sectors. The aim of this work is to improve the
chitin purification process by using an experimental design to reduce the cost of the process and its effects as much as pos-
sible. The "Definitive Screening Design" (DSD) discovered in 2011, offers an attractive alternative to existing designs by
screening and optimizing at the same time. The quality of the obtained biopolymer was expressed by crystallinity index
that was extracted from the X-ray diffraction (XRD) data, which reveals a crystallinity index (CrI%) about 87% for optimal
values of 0.5M for the concentration of acid chloride and 40°C for the demineralization temperature for three hours. To
identify the chitin and assess its quality a parameter called acetylation degree was calculated from Fourier Transform Infrared
spectrophotometry (FT-IR) results, that revealed an optimal value about 77% for an acid chloride concentration of 1.5M, a
sodium hydroxide concentration of 0.5M, and a temperature of 40°C for the demineralization and deproteinization steps.
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis was performed to observe the morphology of purified chitin, which reveals
a homogeneous surface with block formation while using HCl as demineralization agent in the process, so it is considered
the most suitable acid to use in this step.
Keywords Chitin· Fish waste· Biopolymer· Optimization· Definitive Screening Design
1 Introduction
Today's world faces a dual challenge of economic develop-
ment on one hand and environmental protection from pol-
lution generated by industrial activities on the other [1–6].
Unfortunately, this development is a source of pollution
affecting the soil, ecosystem, and living beings [7–10].
Therefore, finding new innovative methods to remedy this
problem and avoid an ecological crisis in the future has
become essential. Indeed, most industrial waste is frequently
disposed of without pre-treatment [11]; this is the case of
shrimp shell waste which releases harmful and polluting
substances. However, this type of waste, rich in diversified
substances can be a source of raw materials such as chitin
which can be valorised by utilizing appropriate methods
[11–13].
Chitin is a polymer like cellulose [14]. It can be recov-
ered from crustacean waste such as shrimp shells by chemi-
cal, enzymatic and microbiological methods [15, 16].
The chemical method involves elimination of minerals
Highlights
• This study reveals a minimum concentration of acid and base,
potentially improving chitin’s proprieties.
• Our analysis uncovers surprising percentage of CrI and DA, with
an optimum purification conditions.
• The research identifies the effect of acid nature on the polymer’s
morphology, marking a significant step forward in polymer
science.
• Exploring the effect of the purification temperature, this article
presents the discovery of the chitin’s appearance changing
related to the treatment duration and temperature.
* Zineb Chiki
zineb.chiki@usmba.ac.ma
1 Signals, Systems andComponents Laboratory (SSC),
Faculty ofSciences andTechniques, Sidi Mohamed Ben
Abdellah University, Route Imouzzer, BP2202Fez, Morocco
2 Advanced Structures andComposites Center, University
ofMaine, Orono, ME04469, USA
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