The invention relates to a method for extracting
chitin from
shrimp and crab shells by using eutectic
ionic liquid. The method comprises the following steps: clearing the
shrimp and crab shells, soaking in
ethanol, cleaning,
drying, crushing and the like to obtain
shrimp and crab shell
powder; mixing
choline chloride and
thiourea according to a certain proportion, adding into a reaction container, heating in a water bath, and stirring to obtain the eutectic
ionic liquid; adding the shrimp and crab shell
powder into the eutectic
ionic liquid according to a certain
mass ratio, heating, stirring and reacting for a certain period of time, taking water as a reverse-phase
solvent, centrifugating, separating and
drying to obtain the
chitin. The method has the characteristics as follows: by virtue of a synergistic effect of the cheap, non-toxic and easily-prepared eutectic ionic liquid prepared from the
choline chloride and the
thiourea, the
solvent and a catalyst, the
chitin in the shrimp and crab shells is separated and extracted at an
atmospheric pressure, so that the method has the characteristics of a mild treatment condition, a simple extraction process, and high easiness in controlling the reaction; meanwhile, the eutectic ionic liquid is recyclable, so that environment
pollution and
energy consumption are reduced.