Domestic US Chitosan Supplier
Chitobine intends to be the premier chitosan supplier in North America, providing high-quality, consistent chitosan products to domestic and international customers. Our focus will be on establishing an efficient chitosan manufacturing process that can produce batches of chitosan with consistent characteristics at the highest quality possible.
As Chitobine grows, we will add additional chitosan products, such as medical and pharmaceutical grade chitosan, chitosan blends, and derivatives, all manufactured with the same focus on high quality and consistency.
Beyond Chitosan Manufacturing
Chitobine will not be content with being a chitosan commodity manufacturer. Surrounded by numerous universities (including several Ivy League schools) in the Northeastern US, there is an incredible opportunity for collaborations to develop innovative chitosan-based products. By working to advance chitosan’s usage, Chitobine will help supplant synthetic materials with an environmentally friendly product derived from a renewable natural resource.
Background
Synthetic plastics have become a dominating presence in the lives of human beings. Present in just about everything, plastics have become a major pollution problem. In addition, they are derived from a non-renewable resource utilizing chemicals that are often harmful to humans. It has become clear that we need to move away from synthetic plastics to materials derived from renewable natural resources that are environmentally friendly.
Chitosan is an amazing material with a multitude of applications. It is derived from chitin, a material found in the exoskeletons of crustaceans and insects as well as the cell wall of fungi. Chitin is the second-most abundant natural material behind cellulose. Chitosan is non-toxic, non-hazardous, and non-allergenic. Furthermore, less than 1% of the demand for chitosan in North America is being satisfied by domestic producers. There is currently only one US company supplying chitosan to the North American market.
We at Chitobine saw an opportunity to become a manufacturer of chitosan in the US. With one venture, we could utilize an underused material, help reduce a major waste product in discarded crustacean shells from the seafood processing industry and promote the use of chitosan as an alternative to synthetic plastics.
Know MorePinal Patel
As the CEO and Founder of Chitobine LLC, Pinal Patel brings business and finance expertise while prioritizing agricultural operations for sustainable chitosan processing. Pinal has extensive experience in shrimp farming, importing and exporting shrimp in Europe, Japan, and the United States, and strategy development. Mr. Patel is also the Founder and CEO of Avatar Residential Detox Center, a treatment facility dedicated to assisting individuals struggling with addiction and mental health disorders.
Joseph F. Bristow, Ph.D.
Joseph Bristow provides engineering and scientific expertise to Chitobine LLC, along with proficiency in chitosan manufacturing.
Dr. Bristow served as the Chemical Engineer for ChitinWorks America, LLC, in Cambridge, MD, where he was responsible for the design and operation of a chitosan manufacturing plant. He was responsible for laboratory analysis of chitosan to determine the effectiveness of the processing steps as well as monitoring wastewater treatment and plant safety. Dr. Bristow helped to develop low-cost solutions to certain problems inherent in the production of chitosan from blue crab shells. In the laboratory, Dr. Bristow established protocols for the analysis of chitosan properties, process solution concentrations, and wastewater characteristics.
After two years at ChitinWorks America, Dr. Bristow joined AgraTech International, Inc., a company seeking to construct a chitosan manufacturing facility along the Gulf Coast. He began working on a production method for manufacturing chitosan from shrimp shell waste available from seafood processors in the area. His work has led to two patents, one for the chitosan manufacturing process and one for a chitosan-based hydrophobic glass coating. He has taken on various administrative duties in addition to his role as the engineer and researcher for the project. Dr. Bristow has served as bookkeeper, maintained company documents, such as the business plan and financial projections, made investor presentations, and met with federal, state, and local government officials.
Dr. Bristow received his BS degree in engineering from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He earned his PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Kentucky, specializing in polymer engineering. Dr. Bristow’s work has been published in journals and presented at regional and national conferences. After receiving his doctorate, Dr. Bristow held a post-doctoral position at the University of Maryland, where he researched the effect of processing conditions on the characteristics of chitosan from crab shells.
Location
Chitobine plans to locate its facility in New Jersey, USA. The location offers access to major interstates and railway lines to transport chitosan products all over North America. With some of the largest port facilities in the United States in New York City and Newark, Chitobine can ship products all over the world.
