OPTIMALIZATION OF CHITIN REACTION PROCESS CONDITIONS INTO CHITOSAN FROM SCALLOP SHELLS (PLACUNA PLACENTA)

Abstract

In 2009, the total production of Placuna placenta reached 68.27 tons in central java. The implication of that is causing a pile of waste from shell which contain 14 – 35% of chitin. Chitin can be further processed into chitosan, a compound that has anti-bacterial properties, following 3 processes and one of them is the deacetylation process. The process is removing the acetyl group from chitin through a heating process with the addition of base at a high concentration. The results showed that optimum process obtained at temperature 750C and base concentration 70% W/V. Similar results were obtained for these results on 3 times repetation. In further, related research will use the following optimized process conditions.