Research Progress in Chitin/Chitosan-Based Biomass Adhesives: Extraction Processes, Composite and Chemical...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Green Chemistry
• Adhesive Technology

Background:

• Traditional adhesives face environmental challenges like formaldehyde emissions and poor biodegradability.
• Biomass-based adhesives, particularly chitin/chitosan, are promising renewable alternatives.
• Existing biomass adhesives often lack sufficient water resistance and wet adhesion strength.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the progress of chitin/chitosan-based adhesives.
• To analyze modification strategies for improving adhesive performance.
• To explore the application potential and challenges of these bio-adhesives.

Main Methods:

• Literature review following a resource-extraction-modification-performance-application framework.
• Analysis of chitin/chitosan structure, extraction (acid/alkali, enzymatic), and characterization (FT-IR, XRD).
• Evaluation of modification strategies including composite, chemical, biomineralization, and biomimetic approaches.

Main Results:

• Chitin/chitosan offers renewability, biocompatibility, and antibacterial properties.
• Modification strategies significantly enhance adhesive properties, addressing limitations of pure chitin/chitosan systems.
• Demonstrated potential in wood processing, biomedicine, and paper-based packaging.

Conclusions:

• Chitin/chitosan-based adhesives represent a viable green pathway for the adhesive industry.
• Further research needed on green extraction, integrated systems, and industrial translation.
• Standardization and full resource utilization are key for widespread adoption.