Fabrication of bacterial cellulose rolls: A scalable bioprocess with broad applicability
Journal
Chemical Engineering Journal
Journal Volume
528
Start Page
172424
ISSN
13858947
Date Issued
2026-01-15
Author(s)
Abstract
Bacterial cellulose (BC), a green material with excellent mechanical strength and biodegradability, remains limited in practical use due to low production yields and poor applicability. While recent bioreactor approaches enhance production, they often come with a trade-off in quality. Furthermore, most studies focus on BC functionalization without addressing scalable production compatible with such modifications. This study bridges that gap by developing a scalable strategy for fabricating high-value, versatile BC composites. We first establish quality control criteria, indicating that BC pellicles with an optimized wet thickness of 7.8–8.0 mm consistently achieve high mechanical strength (∼170 MPa), crystallinity (∼72 %), and uniform fiber diameter (∼82 nm). Based on these findings, a continuous BC roll with a 3D-cross-3D fibrous structure is successfully fabricated by seamlessly joining pellicles using a re-adjusted medium. This roll-based platform supports in-situ and ex-situ modifications. As a demonstration, sodium alginate (SA) was incorporated during growth, followed by metal ion complexation and waterborne polyurethane (WPU) infiltration to produce functional food-packaging films. Further roll-to-roll post-modification via tie-dye and hydrophobic WPU coating yielded leather-like materials suitable for coin purse and card holder. Overall, this universal, scalable BC roll system enables flexible integration of various modifications, advancing industrial-scale production of real-world applicable BC composites.
Subjects
Bacterial cellulose
Bioprocess
In-situ/ex-situ modification
Roll-to-roll
Scalable manufacturing
Publisher
Elsevier B.V.
Type
journal article