Handbook of Chitin and Chitosan Volume 3: Chapter 5 - Chitin blends, interpenetrating polymer networks, gels, composites, and nanocomposites for adsorption systems: environmental remediation and protein purification

This chapter summarizes and brings a critical evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of the properties and applications of chitin for sorption processes. Also discusses potential physical and chemical modifications and future considerations. The study of the adsorptive properties and the ways for their enhancement or increasing the selectivity for a specific sorbate is a growing topic as a consequence of the need for more controlled pollutant effluent management. Moreover, the possibilities of isolating valuable or marketable molecules from those effluents or industrial subproducts demand the development of novel sorbents that satisfy the regulatory conditions and the process economy. Chitin is the second most abundant natural polymer and may, at least potentially, fulfill these requirements.