Chitin and chitosan are natural polymers extracted from various plants and animals. In recent years, these two polymers have attracted much interest because of their biodegradability, biocompatibility, wound‐healing acceleration and many other unique properties. As a natural renewable resource, they offer many potential applications in a number of diversified fields. Chitin and chitosan fibers have been found useful as a biomaterial for potential applications such as sutures and wound dressings. This article presents a brief introduction to the properties of chitin and chitosan, and reviews the various attempts for the production of fibers from the two polymers. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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