	US 7,488,812 B2
	Chitosan production
James R. Trinkle, Bussey, Iowa (US); Ki-Oh Hwang, Cedar Rapids, Iowa (US); and Weiyu Fan, Minnetonka, Minn. (US)
Assigned to Cargill, Incorporated, Wayzata, Minn. (US)
Appl. No. 10/509,570 PCT Filed Apr. 02, 2003, PCT No. PCT/US03/10560 § 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Sep. 29, 2004, PCT Pub. No. WO03/086281, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 23, 2003.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/369594, filed on Apr. 02, 2002.
Prior Publication US 2005/0215774 A1, Sep. 29, 2005
Int. Cl. C08B 37/08 (2006.01); C07H 1/06 (2006.01); C07H 1/08 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 536—20 [536/127]

15 Claims

1. A method for producing chitosan from fungal biomass, comprising:

reacting the fungal biomass with a caustic at a pressure greater than 0 PSIG for at least 4 hours, thereby producing chitosan, wherein the average molecular weight of the chitosan is greater than 80,000 and less than about 258,933.