Size Distribution and Characteristics of Chitin Microgels Prepared via Emulsified Reverse-Micelles
Chitin was extracted from local snow crab shell waste and used as a raw material in the fabrication of porous spherical microgels. The chitin microgels were obtained using a batch process of emulsification and, afterward, gelation. The effects of chitin concentrations, oil and water phase ratios (O:...
| Published in: | Materials |
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| Main Authors: | , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2019
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3390/ma12071160 https://doaj.org/article/74852131019941e89fd31f8017f6eb77 |
| Summary: | Chitin was extracted from local snow crab shell waste and used as a raw material in the fabrication of porous spherical microgels. The chitin microgels were obtained using a batch process of emulsification and, afterward, gelation. The effects of chitin concentrations, oil and water phase ratios (O:W), surfactants, and gelation on the size distribution and morphology of the microgels were investigated. The extracted chitin possessed α-chitin with a degree of acetylation of ~60% and crystallinity of 70%, as confirmed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-Ray Powder Diffraction (XRD). In the reverse-micellar emulsification, different chitin concentrations in NaOH solution were used as aqueous phases, and n-hexane media containing Span 80-based surfactants were used as dispersion phases. Various HCl solutions were used as gelling agents. Microgels with sizes ranging from ~5–200 μm were obtained relying on these studied parameters. Under the condition of 3% w / w chitin solution using O:W of 15:1 at 5% w / w of Span 80 (hydrophilic-lipophilic balance; HLB of 4.3), the gelation in the emulsified reverse micelles was better controlled and capable of forming spherical microgel particles with a size of 7.1 ± 0.3 μm, when 800 μL of 1 M HCl was added. The prepared chitin microgel exhibited macro-pore morphology and swelling behavior sensitive to the acidic pH. |
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