DEVELOPMENT OF ECOLOGICALLY SAFE TECHNOLOGY OF WASTE MYCELIA RECYCLING

Chitosan is a cationic polymer derived by deacetylation of chitin obtained from crustaceans. Biodegradable and mucoadhesion properties of chitosan have recently led to increasing the interest. Chitosan can be used as raw material for the manufacture of films, membranes and fibers, in such branches as medicine, agriculture, veterinary medicine, biotechnology, cosmetics and pulp, and paper industry. Previously it was investigated that in Aspergillus Niger cell wall constituents, chitin comprises of 42 % and also researchers confirmed that the chitosan content of fungi depends on fungal strains, mycelial age, cultivation medium and conditions [1]. In the paper the results of the study of physical and chemical properties of obtained samples of chitosan are shown. The influence of initial parameters of the process on the quality of chitosan is investigated. Use of the biomass to produce chitosan on the basis of the developed methodology is shown. It is found that the resulting chitosan is characterized by low values of ash content, moisture content and the value is within 75–82 %. A further development of the scientific basis for the creation of an efficient, competitive and environmentally safe technologies for utilization mycelial biomass of the fungus Aspergillus Niger with the production of a valuable product is chitosan, which is in contrast to the known allows to reduce production costs by 10–80 % (by using not concentrated solutions of chemicals and low temperature process. This leads to reducing the cost of reagents and electricity. The calculation was performed on indicators such as net present value, internal rate of return and payback period.) The use of the developed technological schemes in practice allows utilization of mycelial waste with the aim of obtaining from them valuable product of chitosan, and to ensure the improvement of ecological situation in the region.