Chitin

Chitin is a naturally occurring polymer, extracted from shrimp shells & heads through a series of deproteinization and demineralization processes to remove minerals and proteins. Chitin is a base structural polymer found on the outer covering of crustacean exoskeletons, cells, bacteria and insects. After cellulose, the next most plentiful biopolymer in the entire world is Chitin. It is a biodegradable polymer that dissolves over time. Chitin is a raw material mainly for Chitosan and Glucosamine hydrochloride. It is also a biopolymer which can be an environment friendly solution for single-use plastics.

It forms the major structural component in the exoskeletons of the crustaceans, crabs and shrimps, as well as the cell walls of fungi. The most abundant source being Shrimp shells.