FAIZA A. DALI
Abstract
This research is aimed to utilize local musselsâ shells in order to have economic value and to minimize the environmental pollutant through isolating and characterizing the chitosan of local shells (Pilsbryoconcha sp.) from Gorontalo, Indonesia. This exercise was conducted through preparing the sample, deproteinization process, demineralization, depigmentation, deacetylation and characterization of chitosan chitin. The isolation stage of 390 g of local musselsâ shells produced 70.78 g of chitosan. The characteristics of chitosan from this process were white, powdery with 1% of moisture, ash content 0.09%, deacetylation degree 99%, soluble in CH3COOH 2%, insoluble in water, slightly soluble in condensed HCl and HNO3, insoluble in condensed NH3 and insoluble in Na2SO4 2%.