Is chitosan a flocculant?
Chitosan is an ideal flocculant for biotechnology applications as it is produced from non-mammalian sources (typically arthropod shells) and is also available in a highly purified form that is low in heavy metals, volatile organics and microbial materials. Chitosan is a polymer of deacetylated chitin.
What removes chitosan from water?
Water purification plants throughout the world use chitosan to remove oils, grease, heavy metals and the fine particulate matter that cause turbidity in waste water streams (Hennen, 1996). The chitosan is considered as a partially N-deacetylated derivative of chitin.
Is chitosan a coagulant?
Chitosan is a natural biopolymer which can be used to replace aluminum salts and chemical polymers as a coagulant to avoid the human health problems caused by the residual of aluminum and chemical polymers in water.
Why chitosan is used in water treatment?
The chitosan is a good flocculant for tap water treatment because of its properties such as faster deposition rate and higher removal efficiency for COD (organic matter), SS (suspended solids), and metal ions. However, its high price limits the use in tap water treatment.
What is the use of chitosan?
Chitosan is used for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, wound healing, and other conditions, but there is little scientific evidence to support many of its uses. In pharmaceutical manufacturing, chitosan is used as a filler in tablets, to improve the way certain drugs dissolve, and to mask bitter tastes.
What can be used as a flocculant?
The following natural products are used as flocculants:
- Chitosan.
- Isinglass.
- Moringa oleifera seeds (Horseradish Tree)
- Gelatin.
- Strychnos potatorum seeds (Nirmali nut tree)
- Guar gum.
- Alginates (brown seaweed extracts)
Which is the natural flocculant of chitin and chitosan?
In recent years, chitosan and chitin have been applied as flocculants in water and other liquid treatment ( Roberts, 1997, Folkard et al., 2000, Divakaran and Pillai, 2002, Oladoja and Aliu, 2009, Menkiti and Onukwuli, 2011 ). Chitosan is an N-deacetylated derivative of chitin.
How is chitosan used for water clarification?
Chitosan is an ideal eco-friendly flocculant for water clarification applications due to its ability to bind to a variety of organic and inorganic particulates. Removal of suspended solids, dyes, heavy metals, and other pollutants is facilitated with chitosan in solution at acidic, neutral, and alkaline pH conditions [2,3].
How long does it take to test chitosan flocculant?
Depending on the specific regulations and requirements of your project, it may also be required to verify that treatment chemicals are not discharged in the effluent water. Using chitosan-based flocculants as part of your water treatment solution allows you to complete residual testing on-site in about 10 minutes.
How is chitin a high molecular weight biopolymer?
Chitin is a high molecular weight biopolymer. When chitin is processed by the removal of acetyl groups, the chitin molecule becomes a molecule called chitosan [poly (glucosamine-co-acetylglucosamine)]. Chitosan is a cationic polyelectrolyte that is soluble in dilute organic acid.