THE DRY SPINNING OF DIBUTYRYLCHITIN FIBERS

Dibutyrylchitin was prepared by treatment of krill chitin with butyric anhydride in the presence of perchloric acid as a catalyst of reactio n carried out at 25 to 30 degrees C. Dibutyrylchitin is easily soluble in several organic solvents, such as acetone, alcohols, methylene chl oride, and dimethylformamide. Samples of polymers with molecular weigh ts high enough to form fibers were obtained, and dibutyrylchitin fiber s were made by a simple method of dry spinning its 20 to 22% solutions in acetone. Select properties of dibutyrylchitin fibers were investig ated. It was found that dibutyrylchitin fibers had tensile properties similar to or better than those of chitin and some chitin derivatives described in the literature. An attempt to convert dibutyrylchitin fib ers to chitin fibers was made. It was found that chitin fibers with go od tensile properties could be obtained by alkaline hydrolysis of dibu tyrylchitin fibers without destroying the fiber structure. (C) 1995 Jo hn Wiley & Sons, Inc.