Hydrodynamic cavitation is an effective method for chitosan degradation, of which the mechanism directly determines the molecular weight distribution of degradation products. In this study, based on the Monte Carlo simulation and experimental results, the mechanism of chitosan degradation with hydrodynamic cavitation and molecular weight distribution of products were analyzed. The results showed that the algorithm established in the simulation could effectively analyze degradation mechanism and the factors that influenced degradation mechanism and molecular weight distribution of products. The degradation with hydrodynamic cavitation was caused by chemical and mechanical effects, of which the former dominated the degradation process. The outlet and inlet angles and throat length of the cavitator had major and minor influences on the degradation pattern, respectively. The chemical effect led to random cuts resulting in wide distribution of the products, while the mechanical effect led to central cuts resulting in narrow distribution of the products. With more central cuts, the slide-shaped molecular weight distribution curve of degradation products was gradually transferred into a bell-shaped curve. These results provide instructions for researches on the molecular weight distribution of chitosan products degraded with hydrodynamic cavitation.

中文翻译：

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水力空化降解壳聚糖的机理研究。

水力空化是一种有效的壳聚糖降解方法，其机理直接决定了降解产物的分子量分布。在本研究中，基于蒙特卡罗模拟和实验结果，分析了壳聚糖降解过程中水动力空化的机理以及产物的分子量分布。结果表明，所建立的算法可以有效地分析降解机理以及影响降解机理和产物分子量分布的因素。水动力空化作用的降解是由化学和机械作用引起的，其中前者主导了降解过程。空化器的出口和入口角度以及喉部长度分别对降解模式有主要和次要影响。化学效应导致随机切割，从而导致产品的广泛分布，而机械效应导致中心切割，从而导致产品的狭窄分布。随着更多的中心切口，降解产物的载玻片形分子量分布曲线逐渐转变为钟形曲线。这些结果为研究水力空化降解的壳聚糖产物的分子量分布提供了指导。降解产物的玻片形分子量分布曲线逐渐转变为钟形曲线。这些结果为研究水力空化降解的壳聚糖产物的分子量分布提供了指导。降解产物的玻片形分子量分布曲线逐渐转变为钟形曲线。这些结果为研究水力空化降解的壳聚糖产物的分子量分布提供了指导。