Proximate analysis and characterization of some aquatic wastes as potential feedstock for chitin/chitosan production

Abstract

The aim of this study is to evaluate the proximate, mineral and characteristic properties of Fish scale (FS), Shrimps shell (SS) and Crab shell (CS) as potential starting materials for the production of Chitin/Chitosan. The experimental analysis carried out includes proximate analysis, mineral composition and characterization of samples of these aquatic wastes using known and established standard experimental procedures. Analysis of obtained experimental results for both proximate and mineral composition revealed that samples of Shrimp shell, Crab shell and Fish scale contains 7.09, 5.24 and 6.31 % moisture, 51.67, 59.31 and 42.73 % ash content, 7.19, 6.75 and 4.88 % lipid, 4.10, 2.52, and 5.43% nitrogen, 25.67, 15.75 and 37.17% crude protein, 14.0, 7.30, 5.7% crude fiber, 85.92, 93.02, 86. 56 % Ca and 0.5796, 0.5869, 0.8115 % K respectively. The identity of functional group was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. And mineral compositions and thermal stability were assessed by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) respectively. The utilization performance of these aquatic wastes samples as potential raw materials for different industrial application. And also various results of analysis disclose the cost associated with arbitrary utilization of processing parameters. This confirms that proximate and mineral compositions of aquatic wastes are fundamental parameters for different chitin/chitosan production.