The Effect of Alkalisation Treatment on Bacterial Cellulose Dissolution at Different Temperature

Abstract

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is solely constituted of cellulose, with no additional polymers such as hemicellulose, lignin, or pectin. BC is known to be difficult to dissolve in alkali solutions due to its high polymerisation. For various reasons, including lower temperature, Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) is known to be the most efficient solvent for cellulose dissolving. The objective of this study is to investigate the most effective concentration of NaOH and the optimal temperature for dissolving bacterial cellulose, with or without the presence of urea in order to regenerate BC fibre.