June 5, 2026
It was 1999 when we last wrote about chitin and chitosan. Back then chitosan was receiving considerable attention as a natural diet additive. It reportedly absorbed fat and oil, so it was deemed to be good at reducing cholesterol levels and helping a person control weight. This proved not to be as good as promoted, and the market bubble collapsed.
Chitosan is found in the exoskeleton of insects and crustaceans. The commercial product is made from shrimp and crab shells. Vincent sold a number of presses, but the market was soon taken over by producers in China.
Currently the market has revived. A primary market is now in wastewater treatment. A variety of highly complex formulations have been developed for a number of applications. Starting with organic feedstock, as opposed to petroleum, has opened up the possibility of producing new molecular configurations, with unique properties. These are environmentally renewable, biodegradable biopolymers. A Vincent customer is the leader in this field.
Another very interesting application is found in the recovery of rare minerals, rare earth elements, and precious metals. The unique chemical structure enables metal binding through chelation, electrostatic interaction, and ion exchange.
Both the University of Missouri and Missouri University of Science and Technology have projects involving taking things from laboratory-scale chemistry to engineering solutions. These are focused on treatment of mine tailings. Work has also involved bioleaching, which is using microorganisms to dissolve minerals, in contrast with traditional acid leaching.
Vincent is proud that our screw presses are playing a part in these developments. For further details, see Pressing News #94, May 1999.
ISSUE #365
