Impact of extended acid hydrolysis on polymeric, structural and thermal properties of microcrystalline chitin

•Microcrystalline chitin (MCCh) was prepared under hydrolysis and evaluated for polymer qualities.•Duration of acid treatment of MCCh had an impact on its surface morphology and void spaces.•Degree of acetylation of MCCh slightly decreased with an increase in treatment time.•Crystallinity of microcrystalline chitin increased with increasing hydrolysis time. In this study, microcrystalline chitin (MCCh) was prepared from commercial shrimp shell α-chitin by acid hydrolysis at ambient temperature for various treatment durations (30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 min), and their structural, polymeric and thermal properties were studied. Results showed that MCCh was distinct from native chitin structure, exhibiting loosened fibrillar structure with large pores and void diameter, increasing with treatment duration from