Abstract:
This paper reports on the synthesis and characterization of cross-linked chitosan products prepared from using crab, shrimp
beads and ten different cross-linked polymers which includes; glutaraldehyde, formaldehyde, epichlorohydrine, maleic anhydride,
p-benzoquinone, poly (ethylene) glycol diglycidyl ether (PEG diglycidyl ether), 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone, 1,3-dichloroaceone,
acrylic acid and s-methyl-benzylamine. Characterization of the cross-liked chitosan products was done using Fouriertransform
infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) to determine the structural morphology and
the stretching frequencies of the products. The obtained FTIR stretching frequencies of the cross-linked chitosan products
were matched against the starting material and the literature values to confirm the products. SEM analysis showed mixtures
of regular and amorphous products. Different percentage yields (crab, 26–98% and shrimp, 30–88%) were obtained for the
cross-linked chitosan products depending on the cross-linked polymer used.