Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Chitin and chitosan fibres: A review

  • Polymers
  • Published:
Bulletin of Materials Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Chitin is the most abundant natural amino polysaccharide and estimated to be produced annually almost as much as cellulose. It has become of great interest not only as an underutilized resource, but also as a new functional material of high potential in various fields and the recent progress in chitin chemistry is quite noteworthy. The purpose of this review is to take a closer look at fibres made of chitin and its derivatives. Based on the current research and existing products, some new and futuristic approaches, in the development of novel fibres and their applications have been thoroughly discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aiba S 1986Int. J. Biol. Macromol. 8 173

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Alonso I G, Peniche-Covas C and Neito J M 1983J. Therm. Anal. 28 189

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Austin P R 1975a US Patent 3892731

  • Austin P R 1975b US Patent 3879377

  • Austin P R 1977 US Patent 4059457

  • Austin P R 1984Chitin, chitosan and related enzymes (ed.) J P Zikakis (Florida: Academic Press) pp. 227–237

    Google Scholar 

  • Austin P R and Brine C J 1977 US Patent 4029727

  • Austin P R, Brine C J, Castle J E and Zikakis J P 1981Science 212 749

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Biagini Get al 1991Biomaterials 12 281

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brine C J and Austin P R 1975 inAmer. Chem. Soc. Symp. Series: Marine Chem. in Coastal Environ. (ed.) T D Church18 pp. 505–518

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Capozza R C 1975 German Patent 2505305

  • Capozza R C 1976a US Patent 3988411

  • Capozza R C 1976b US Patent 3989535

  • Capozza R C 1978a US Patent 4074366

  • Capozza R C 1978b US Patent 4074713

  • Chandy T and Sharma C P 1990Biomater. Art. Cells Art. Org. 18 1

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Clark G L and Smith A F 1936J. Phys. Chem. 40 863

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cooper P 1993J. Soc. Dyer. Color 109 97

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dawsey T R and McCormick C L 1990J.M.S.-Rev. Macromol. Chem. Phys. C30 405

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Domard A 1987Int. J. Biol. Macromol. 9 333

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Domard A and Rinaudo M 1983Int. J. Biol. Macromol. 5 49

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Domszy J G and Roberts G A F 1985Makromol. Chem. 186 1671

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dutta P K and Ravi Kumar M N V 1997 inProc. Indian Chem. Convention (New Delhi: ICS)

    Google Scholar 

  • Dutta P K and Ravi Kumar M N V 1998 Indian Patent 724/Cal/98

  • Dutta P K, Viswanathan P, Mimrot L and Ravi Kumar M N V 1997J. Polym. Mater. 14 351

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fuji Co. Ltd 1984 Japanese Patent 59116418;Chem. Abstr. 102 12433f

    Google Scholar 

  • Gessner S L 1992 US Patent 5108827;Chem. Abstr. 117 71647m

  • Gorovoi L F, Baglai V A, Danilyak N I and Annikov O V 1990Chem. Abstr. 116 61872w

    Google Scholar 

  • Groff K A 1992Water Environ. Res. 64 425

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Groff K A 1993Water Environ. Res. 65 421

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hirano S, Tsuneyasu S and Kondo Y 1981Agric. Biol. Chem. 45 1335

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hudson S M and Cuculo J A 1980J.M.S.-Rev. Macromol. Chem. Phys. C18 1

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Joseph Laszio A 1994Am. Dyestuff Rep.

  • Kaifu K, Nishi N and Komai T 1981J. Polym. Sci. Polym. Chem. Ed. 19 2361

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kanayama N and Endo A 1991 Japanese Patent 03167388;Chem. Abstr. 155 235078p

    Google Scholar 

  • Kifune K, Nakajima M and Atsumi K 1984 inChitin, chitosan and related enzymes (ed.) J P Zikakis (New York: Harcourt Brace Janovich) pp. 407–410

    Google Scholar 

  • Kifune K, Yamaguchi Y, Motosugi K, Nobe Y and Tanae H 1987a Japanese Patent 62097557;Chem. Abstr. 107 205230z

  • Kifune K, Yamaguchi Y and Tanae H 1987b US Patent 4651725

  • Kifune K, Yamaguchi Y and Motosugi K 1988 Japanese Patent 63209661;Chem. Abstr. 111 45347v

  • Kifune K, Yamaguchi Y and Kishimoto S 1988Trans. Soc. Biomater. XI 216

    Google Scholar 

  • Kifune K, Inome K and Mori S 1990 US Patent 4932404

  • Kim K Y and Min D S 1988Trans. Soc. Biomater. XI 658

    Google Scholar 

  • Kobayashi Y, Nishiyama M, Matsuo R, Tokura S and Nishi N 1982 inProc. of the second int. conf. on chitin and chitosan (eds) S Hirano and S Tokura (Tottori: The Japan Society of Chitin and Chitosan) pp. 239–243

    Google Scholar 

  • Kunike G 1926Chemiefasern 8 126

    Google Scholar 

  • Lal G S and Hayes E R 1984J. Anal. Appl. Pyrol. 6 183

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Le Y, Anand S C and Horrocks A R 1997Indian J. Fibre & Textile Res. 22 337

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Madhavan P and Nair K G R 1978 inProc. first int. conf. on chitin and chitosan (Cambridge: MIT) pp. 88–102

    Google Scholar 

  • Madhavan P, Nair K G R, Thankappan T K, Prabhu P V and Gopakumar K 1986 Project Report (Kochi: CIFT)

    Google Scholar 

  • Madhavan P 1992 inPopular Science Lecture Series (Kochi: CIFT)

    Google Scholar 

  • Maghami G A and Roberts G A F 1988Makromol. Chem. 189 2239

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Moncreiff R W 1970 inMan-made fibres (New York: Wiley)

    Google Scholar 

  • Mori T and Yamazaki T 1991 Japanese Patent 03220394;Chem. Abstr. 116 59904q

    Google Scholar 

  • Muzzarelli R A A 1973 inNaturally chelating polymers (New York: Pergamon) p. 83

    Google Scholar 

  • Muzzarelli R A A 1977 inChitin (New York: Pergamon) pp. 51–55

    Google Scholar 

  • Muzzarelli R A A 1978 inProc. first int. conf. on chitin and chitosan (Cambridge: MIT) pp. 1–3

    Google Scholar 

  • Muzzarelli R A A 1993Carbohydr. Res. 20 7

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Muzzarelli R A A 1995 US Patent 537842

  • Muzzarelli R A A and Rochetti R 1985Carbohydr. Res. 5 461

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Muzzarelli R A A, Tanfani F, Emanuelli M J and Mariotti S 1982aCarbohydr. Res. 2 145

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Muzzarelli R A A, Tanfani F, Emanuelli M J and Mariotti S 1982bCarbohydr. Res. 107 199

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Muzzarelli R A A, Tanfani F, Emanuelli M J and Mariotti S 1983J. Membr. Sci. 16 295

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Muzzarelli R A A, Tanfani F and Scarpini G 1980Biotechnol. Bioeng. 22 885

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Muzzarelli R A A, Lough C and Emanuelli M 1987Carbohydr. Res. 164 433

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nara K K, Yamaguchi Y and Tanae H 1987 US Patent 4651725

  • Neugebauer W A, Neugebauer E and Brezezinski R 1989Carbohydr. Res. 189 363

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Niola F, Basora N, Chornet E and Vidal P F 1993Carbohydr. Res. 238 1

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nishi N, Noguchi J, Tokura S and Shiota H 1979Polym. J. 11 27

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nishiyama M, Kobayashi Y, Tokura S and Nishi N 1983 US Patent 4392916;Chem. Abstr. 16 124374p

  • Nud’ga L Aet al 1991Vysokomol. Soedin. Ser. B. 33 864

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pariser E T and Lombadi D P 1980 inChitin source book: A guide to research literature (New York: Wiley)

    Google Scholar 

  • Paul D R 1968J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 12 383

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pelletier A, Lemire I, Sygush J, Chornet E and Overend R P 1990Biotechnol. Bioeng. 36 310

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rathke T D and Hudson S M 1993J. Polym. Sci. Polym. Chem. Ed. 31 749

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rathke T D and Hudson S M 1994J.M.S.-Rev. Macromol. Chem. Phys. C34 375

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ravi Kumar M N V and Dutta P K 1996Asian Textile J. 5 74

    Google Scholar 

  • Ravi Kumar M N V, Rajakala Sridhari T, Durga Bhavani K and Dutta P K 1998aColourage

  • Ravi Kumar M N V, Dutta P K and Nakamura S 1998b inAdvances in wastewater treatment technologies (ed.) R K Trivedy (Aligarh: Global Science) pp. 22–46

    Google Scholar 

  • Ravi Kumar M N V, Dutta P K and Nakamura S 1999aJ. Sci. Ind. Res. (to be published)

  • Ravi Kumar M N V, Gupta K C, Dutta P K and Nakamura S 1999bProg. Polym. Sci. (to be published)

  • Ravi Kumar M N V, Singh P and Dutta P K 1999cIndian Drugs (to be published)

  • Ravi Kumar M N V, Singh P and Dutta P K 1999dEastern Pharm. (to be published)

  • Ravi Kumar M N V, Dutta P K and Nakamura S 1999eIndian J. Pharm. Sci. (to be published)

  • Raymond L, Morin F G and Marchessault R H 1993Carbohydr. Res. 243 331

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reife A 1993 inEncyclopedia of chemical technology (ed.) W Howe-Grant (New York: Wiley) pp. 753–783

    Google Scholar 

  • Roberts G A F and Domszy J G 1982Int. J. Biol. Macromol. 4 374

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rutherford F and Austin P R 1978 inProc. first int. conf. on chitin and chitosan (Cambridge: MIT) pp. 182–192

    Google Scholar 

  • Sagar B, Hamlyn P and Waler D 1985 UK Patent 2148959

  • Sagar B, Hamlyn P and Waler D 1986 UK Patent 2165865

  • Sagar B, Hamlyn P and Waler D 1987 UK Patent 21888135

  • Sagar B, Hamlyn P and Waler D 1991 European Patent 460774;Chem. Abstr. 116 914945

  • Salmon S and Hudson S M 1997J.M.S.-Rev. Macromol. Chem. Phys. C37 199

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sannan T, Kurita K, Ogura K and Iwakura Y 1978Polymer 19 458

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smith B, Koonce T and Hudson S 1993Am. Dyestuff Rep.

  • Sparkes B G and Murray D G 1986 US Patent 4572906

  • Sukhanova T E, Sridorovich V, Goryainov G I, Mikhailov G M and Nitterpakhova 1989Vysokomol. Soedin. Ser. B. 31 381

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Szosland B and East G C 1995J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 58 2459

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Taguchi T and Sato I 1989 Japanese Patent 03220394;Chem. Abstr. 111 156262h

    Google Scholar 

  • Tokura S, Nishi N and Noguchi J 1979Polym. J. 11 781

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Unitika Co. Ltd 1982a European Patent 51421;Chem. Abstr. 97 78943g

  • Unitika Co. Ltd 1982b Japan Patent 57139101;Chem. Abstr. 98 55449g

  • Unitika Co. Ltd 1982c Japan Patent 57270717;Chem. Abstr. 98 113745p

  • Unitika Co. Ltd 1983a Japan Patent 58214513;Chem. Abstr. 100 180138r

  • Unitika Co. Ltd 1983b Japan Patent 582145512;Chem. Abstr. 100 180139s

  • Unitika Co. Ltd 1983c Japan Patent 58127736;Chem. Abstr. 100 87146g

  • Unitika Co. Ltd 1984a Japan Patent 59068347;Chem. Abstr. 101 112325v

  • Unitika Co. Ltd 1984b Japan Patent 59071343;Chem. Abstr. 101 112326w

  • Von Weimarn P P 1926aCan. Chem. Metall. 10 227

    Google Scholar 

  • Von Weimarn P P 1926bJ. Textile Inst. 17 1642

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamaguchi Het al 1987 Japanese Patent 62223399;Chem. Abstr. 108 44077h

  • Yao K D, Peng T, Yin J, Xu M and Goosen M F A 1995J.M.S.-Rev. Macromol. Chem. Phys. C35 155

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yoshida H, Fukuda S, Okamoto A and Kataoka T 1991Water Sci. Technol. 23 1667

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yoshida H, Okamoto A and Kataoka T 1993Chem. Eng. Sci. 48 2267

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ziabicki A 1985 inHigh-speed fibre spinning: Science and engineering aspects (New York: Wiley)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zikakis J P (ed.) 1984 inChitin, chitosan and related enzymes (Orlando: Academic Press) pp. XVII-XXIV

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, University of Roorkee, 247 667, Roorkee, India

    M N V Ravi Kumar

Authors
  1. M N V Ravi Kumar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ravi Kumar, M.N.V. Chitin and chitosan fibres: A review. Bull Mater Sci 22, 905–915 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02745552

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02745552

Keywords

Search

Navigation