NEW PROCESS FOR PREPARATION OF CHITOSAN BY A MICROWAVE FLUIDIZED-BED REACTOR

摘要

Microwaves can be used not only as a dielectric heating medium but also to accelerate many organic reactions. Fluidization technology can facilitate mass, heat and momentum transfer, promote reactions, and change batch reactions into continuous ones. In the present paper, we combine the advantages of microwave and fluidization technology in a microwave fluidized-bed reactor (MFB). Studies on its use for the deacetylation of chitin were carried out. Prelimuiary results show that with the microwave fluidized-bed reactor the reaction time is reduced dramatically, from 16 hours to 1～3 hours, while the consumptions of alkali and water were also decreased from 5 and 300 t to 0.5 and 20 t per ton of chitosan, respectively compared with the conventional method. The pollution resulting from the preparation of chitosan by the chitin process is also greatly reduced.