Hu Guangmin, chairman of Huaxing Group, told reporters that the group has a clear understanding of the inevitable transformation and upgrading of the textile and chemical fiber industries after many years of rapid growth. For this reason, the company planned early on to take advantage of Shandong's abundant marine resources by starting experiments with chitosan fiber spinning in 2006. Eventually, the enterprise used acetic acid and sodium hydroxide as solvents for non-toxic spinning throughout the process, obtaining a national invention patent. In the preparation of spinning solutions at each stage, Shandong Huaxing adopted advanced processes such as vacuum dissolution and centrifugal degassing; in the spinning and post-treatment processes, ultrasound and microwave treatment processes were used to improve the properties of the fibers. The dry breaking strength of Huaxing chitosan fibers reaches 1.5～1.8CN/dtex, the dry breaking elongation rate is ≥14%, the linear density error rate is ≤±5%, it has good spinnability, can be blended with cotton, hemp, modal, viscose, wool, cashmere, etc., to make various high-end functional textile fabrics; it can also be combined with medical viscose, polyester, etc., to make high-grade medical and health protection materials.
Compared internationally, China started later in developing and researching chitosan textiles. China began research on the preparation of chitosan and its derivatives in the 1950s, but progress was relatively slow. Initially, chitosan was used as a coating printing film-forming agent, then as a formaldehyde-free fabric finishing agent and adhesive. Research on using chitosan as a medical material due to its excellent biomedical characteristics started in the early 1990s.
Currently, an annual production line of 200 tons has been formed domestically.
Regrettably, despite the large amount of chitosan present in nature, it is estimated that only 150,000 tons of chitosan are obtained globally each year, with only a few ten thousand tons actually produced. According to data provided by experts, the global production and use of chitosan does not exceed 10,000 tons annually, mainly used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, health supplements, food additives, etc.
The 1990s were the peak era for China's research and development of chitosan and chitosan. By the mid-1990s, hundreds of colleges, universities, and research institutions across the country were engaged in the study and development of chitosan. In 1991, Donghua University successfully developed chitosan medical sutures, followed by the successful development of chitosan medical dressings (artificial skin) which have already applied for patents. From 1999 to 2000, Donghua University developed a series of chitosan blended yarns and fabrics, making various health-preserving underwear, stockings, and baby products. In 2000, in Weifang, Shandong, the world's first Korean wholly-owned enterprise producing pure chitosan fibers went into production, with a monthly output of 3 tons. Besides Shanghai, manufacturers in Beijing, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and other provinces and cities also developed chitosan health-preserving underwear or bedding products, which have already been launched on the market. Among the most representative examples is Shandong Huaxing Group, which independently developed a 200-ton/year chitosan fiber production line with independent intellectual property rights, establishing a downstream industrial chain, achieving diversified and series product applications. Hismer is the trade name for Huaxing's chitosan fiber, symbolizing Health mol.
Chitosan fibers naturally possess five major functions: non-toxic, anti-mold, antibacterial, flame-retardant, and anti-static. Chitosan, the main raw material for producing chitosan fibers, is the product of chitin deacetylation. Chitin, also known as chitosan or chitin, is mainly found in the shells of shrimp, crabs, insects, and the cell walls of fungi and algae plants. Globally, the amount of chitin synthesized biologically each year amounts to billions of tons, from which tens of billions of tons of chitosan can be extracted, making it the second-largest natural polymer compound after cellulose. Chitin is also the largest nitrogen-containing natural organic compound on Earth besides proteins.
Research on chitosan fibers abroad started earlier, in the early part of the last century. As early as 1926, Danish Knwike first spun chitin fibers. At the end of the 1960s, researchers at Japan's Fuji Spinning Company systematically studied chitin, discovering that these natural materials are widely sourced and safe, particularly suitable for making bandage-like products that accelerate wound healing. They also confirmed through animal experiments that this new material has similar or better therapeutic effects than ordinary antibiotics against bacterial infections.
Turning shrimp and crab shells from dining tables into beautiful clothing is not a pipe dream. Moreover, in the future, aerospace materials, bandages for wound dressing, surgical sutures, and radiation-protective clothing could all have raw materials derived from shrimp and crab shells. As an important variety of bio-based regenerative polysaccharide fibers, chitosan fibers originating from the vast ocean are increasingly attracting attention due to their abundant resources, superior functions, and renewable and biodegradable products. After long-term domestic research and application, a 200-ton/year pilot production line has been established and smoothly put into operation, with companies accelerating the construction of a 2,000-ton/year fiber production line, making the industrialization of chitosan fibers imminent.