CuanTec are experts in Chitosan product development and manufacture. We take the raw shell feedstock- we process it and the result is a biopolymer of very high specification (mostly measured in a combination of Degrees of Deacetylation and viscosity) and we sell this final product to our customers in flake, or powder or solution format.
CHRYSTAL® is our brand which stands testimony to the quality of our chitosan offering and our commitment to expanding this range to meet the very specific needs of our growing customer base.
Chitosan is characterised by 2 main properties: Degree of Deacetylation and viscosity, both using widely recognised standard methodologies. Our current Chitosan products comprise DDA levels from around 80% to around 92% and viscosities from around 500cP to over 5,000cP. We continue the development process to produce products with very low viscosities (under 100 cPs) as well as very high DDAs (over 95%)
Different applications require different combinations of DDA and viscosity. We work with customers to develop the right combination of DDA and viscosity to meet their needs
But Chrystal® Chitosan also stands for traceability and transparency.
We welcome customer audits on site and we work with our own suppliers to ensure we have traceability of our feedstock shells “back to the boat”. We know that the shellfish are landed at UK ports from boats which have fished in UK-government regulated waters in the shipping area of FAO 27.
Our process and site are also accredited to ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, as well as Halal certification and with the necessary HACCP oversight in place.
CuanTec is working with a range of customers who are incorporating, or thinking about incorporating, Chitosan into their products which are used in the following categories where Chitosan’s physicochemical and therapeutic benefits are integral to the final product functionality and value:
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Medical
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Biomedical
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Dental
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Specialist and Municipal Water purification
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Veterinary
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Cosmetics
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Food Supplements
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Drug Delivery
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Coatings
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Paper strengthening
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Thickeners
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Soil enhancing
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Crop Biostimulation
CHRYSTAL® Chitosan
Chitosan dried flake/powder
Chrystal® Chitosan can be provided in a dry flake form and also as a milled powder with particle size around 100 microns (0.1 mm).
On request, powders with alternative particle sizes (finer or coarser) may be possible and in time the range of standard powder sizes is expected to grow.
Typically, the moisture content for the dried product will be a maximum of 5% and it can be supplied in tamperproof sealed containers or packs ranging from individual 50g packs through to much larger bulk orders, or to any other standards required for specific customers and their applications.
Chitosan in solution
Subject to customer requirements, Chitosan can be supplied in 1,000 litre Intermediate Bulk Containers (Industry-standard IBC) as a solution with viscosity and concentration to suit the customer's own application and dosing requirements.
Since Chitosan is a biopolymer, there are no significant handling issues/concerns.
Packaging formats
Chrystal® Chitosan can be supplied in tamperproof, airtight containers, from 50g containers through to bulk orders, as per customer requests.
In terms of "In-solution", our recommended format is the industry norm 1,000 litre Intermediate Bulk Container (IBC)
Degree of Deacetylation (DDA)
The degree of deacetylation (DDA) of Chitosan corresponds to the amount of acetyl groups removed from chitin and “substituted” with amino groups at the same locations. This directly affects the properties of chitosan such as its solubility, viscosity and reactivity.
Upon deacetylating chitin to 50% the resultant material is called chitosan but through progressively increasing the degree of deacetylation to 80% and over, the resultant chitosan becomes much more useful due to its enhanced solubility in acidic conditions.
Our standard products range from around 80% to around 92% but DDA levels over 95% are able to be provided to special order.
Viscosity
Chitin is widely reported to have molecular weights in the range of 100,000Daltons to 2,500,000Daltons. However, it is more common for chitosan to be characterised in terms of its viscosity (measured in centipoises) in dilute acid solutions, more usually as a 1% solution of chitosan in a 1% solution of acetic acid.
We produce Chitosan in a broad range of viscosities from the low hundreds to over 5,000cP but for specific applications where more concentrated solutions are required, lower viscosity chitosan can be provided to order
These requirements will be based upon the customer’s own manufacturing process and role of the Chitosan in the final product
Certificate of analysis (COA)
We provide a full certificate of Analysis for each of product supplied which includes both the viscosity and the degree of deacetylation.