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Bacterial cellulose films with controlled microstructure–mechanical property relationships

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Abstract

Bacterial cellulose (BC) films with different porosities have been developed in order to obtain improved mechanical properties. After 13 days of incubation of Gluconobacter xylinum bacteria in static culture, BC pellicles have been set. BC films have been compression molded after water dispersion of BC pellicles and filtration by applying different pressures (10, 50, and 100 MPa) to obtain films with different porosities. Tensile behavior has been analyzed in order to discuss the microstructure–property relationships. Compression pressure has been found as an important parameter to control the final mechanical properties of BC films where slightly enhanced tensile strength and deformation at break are obtained increasing mold compression pressure, while modulus also increases following a nearly linear dependence upon film porosity. This behavior is related to the higher densification by increasing mold compression pressure that reduces the interfibrillar space, thus increasing the possibility of interfibrillar bonding zones. Network theories have been applied to relate film elastic properties with individual nanofiber properties.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge Eusko Jaurlaritza, Grupo Consolidado IT-365-07 and ETORTEK-inanoGUNE for financial assistance to carry out this investigation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Materials + Technologies Group, Polytechnic School, Dpto. Ingeniería Química y M. Ambiente, Universidad País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Pza. Europa 1, 20018, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain

    A. Retegi, N. Gabilondo, C. Peña, K. de la Caba & I. Mondragon

  2. New Materials Group, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana Circular 1 # 70-01, Medellin, Colombia

    R. Zuluaga, C. Castro & P. Gañan

Authors
  1. A. Retegi
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  2. N. Gabilondo
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  3. C. Peña
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  4. R. Zuluaga
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  5. C. Castro
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  6. P. Gañan
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  7. K. de la Caba
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  8. I. Mondragon
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Correspondence to I. Mondragon.

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Retegi, A., Gabilondo, N., Peña, C. et al. Bacterial cellulose films with controlled microstructure–mechanical property relationships. Cellulose 17, 661–669 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-009-9389-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-009-9389-7

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