This research involved the purification and analysis of industrial chitosan and chitosan derivatives. The best methods available for analyzing industrial chitosan and chitosan derivative were IR(solid-state), UV and 13C solid state N.M.R. A study of how the industrial chitosan amine reacts was carri ed out using 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene to find the limitation of reactions in different physical states. T o di scover whether industrial chitosan or the adapted chitosan derivatives (N-(salicyl) chitosan, N-(ortho-anisyl) chitosan, N-ethanolbenzene chitosan, N-(N-2-propanolphalimide) chitosan, N-(2-cyanoethyl)chitosan) had any selectivity for specific metals, isotherm absorption studies using single metal ion trials (copper, cadmium, aluminium, zinc and lead) were carried out. These gave the capacity and affinity constant of the polymer. Multi-metal chelation trials to discover if there was selectivity •for specific metal ions were also carried out. The results for the chitosan derivatives were compared with those for industrial chitosan or an industrial ion exchange resin.