Extraction of chitosan from shrimp shells waste and application in antibacterial finishing of bamboo rayon

► Extraction of chitosan from shrimp shell waste. ► Biopolymer finishing on biopolymers using grafting as a tool. ► Durable antibacterial properties of modified product. ► Modification as a tool to obtain hygienic textiles. Chitosan can be best utilized as safe antibacterial agent for textiles but there is always a limitation of its durability. The chitin containing shellfish waste is available in huge quantities, but very low quantities are utilized for extraction of high value products like chitosan. In the current work chitosan was extracted from shrimp shells and then used as antibacterial exhaust finishing agent for grafted bamboo rayon. Chitosan bound bamboo rayon was then evaluated for antibacterial activity against both gram positive and gram negative bacteria. The product showed antibacterial activity against both types of bacterias which was durable till 30 washes.