Macrofibers with High Mechanical Performance Based on Aligned Bacterial Cellulose Nanofibers

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Biomaterials Engineering

Background:

• Bacterial cellulose (BC) nanofibers possess high crystallinity and mechanical strength.
• Oriented BC nanofibers with strong interfibrillar interactions enable high-performance materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate macrofibers from aligned BC nanofibers using wet spinning and drawing.
• To investigate the relationship between process conditions, structure, and mechanical properties.
• To enhance macrofiber performance through multivalent ion cross-linking.

Main Methods:

• Continuous wet spinning and drawing of BC nanofibers.
• Optimization of process conditions for macrofiber fabrication.
• Multivalent ion (Fe3+) cross-linking to improve interfiber interactions.

Main Results:

• Optimized macrofibers achieved a Young's modulus of 16.4 GPa and tensile strength of 248.6 MPa.
• Fe3+ cross-linking increased Young's modulus to 22.9 GPa and tensile strength to 357.5 MPa.
• Macrofibers retained significant mechanical properties (15.9 GPa modulus, 262.2 MPa strength) in wet conditions.

Conclusions:

• A continuous wet-spinning process effectively produces BC macrofibers with enhanced properties.
• Multivalent ion cross-linking is a viable strategy to boost interfiber interactions and mechanical performance.
• These BC macrofibers show promise for applications in smart textiles, biosensors, and structural reinforcement.