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Recipe
Chitosan film
Transparent antimicrobial film from shellfish shells dissolved in weak acid. A more advanced process but entirely home-feasible.
Advanced180 min active
Every A New Field recipe has been run in a domestic kitchen or community hall. Read the safety notes before you start and adapt for your venue.
What you’ll make
Transparent, lightly yellow, flexible with glycerine, strong for its weight.
Flexible slots (flex around your material)
Chitin source
Chitin / chitosan100g dry shellLong-chain polysaccharide from shellfish shells and some fungi. Dissolves in weak acid.
Examples Prawn shells, crab shells
Note — Rinse and dry before grinding.
Fixed ingredients
- Washing soda · 1 litre — Simmer 1 hour.
- Vinegar · 500ml — Dissolves chitosan.
- Glycerine · 4g
Equipment
- Two pans
- sieve
- muslin
- flat surface
- Gloves.
Refinements and variations
- Blend in charcoal for a black film; skip glycerine for rigid panes.
Source notes
Materiom 'Chitosan film'; adapted for home kitchens.