The History of Chitin

Chitin and Chitosan are valuable veriatile natural materials derived from prawn- and crabshells. The word “Chitin“ is retrieved from the Greek etymology and means “A Coat Of Mail”. Odier was the first to use the product in 1823.

Chitin was first discovered in mushrooms by prof Henri Braconnot of France in 1811. The name chitin comes in 1830s, when it was isolated in insect. Chitosan was discovered in 1859 by prof C. Rouget.. In 1930s and 1940s, the polymers attracts considerable attention as evidenced by about 50 patents. Lack of adequate manufacturing facilities and cutthroat competition from synthetic polymers restricted commercial development. Revived interest in the 1970s encouraged the need to better utilze shellfish shells. Chitin and chitosan is used in several countries worldwide in variety of applications, and today there are more than 2000 applications of chitin and its derivatives. (Global industry analysis since 2004)