Modification of dehydrated bacterial cellulose with glycerol and succinic acid by using padding method for textile applications
Abstract
Purpose
Dehydrated bacterial cellulose’s (BC) intrinsic rigidity constrains applicability across textiles, leather, health care and other sectors. This study aims to yield a novel BC modification method using glycerol and succinic acid with catalyst and heat, applied via an industrially scalable padding method to tackle BC’s stiffness drawbacks and enhance BC properties.
Design/methodology/approach
Fabric-like BC is generated via mechanical dehydration and then finished by using padding method with glycerol, succinic acid, catalyst and heat. Comprehensive material characterizations, including international testing standards for stiffness, bending properties (cantilever method), tensile properties, moisture vapor transmission rate, moisture content and regain, washing, thermal gravimetric analysis, derivative thermogravimetry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and colorimetric measurement, are used.
Findings
The combination of BC/glycerol/succinic acid dramatically enhanced porous structure, elongation (27.40 ± 6.39%), flexibility (flexural rigidity of 21.46 ± 4.01 µN m; bending modulus of 97.45 ± 18.20 MPa) and moisture management (moisture vapor transmission rate of 961.07 ± 86.16 g/m2/24 h; moisture content of 27.43 ± 2.50%; and moisture regain of 37.94 ± 4.73%). This softening process modified the thermal stability of BC. Besides, this study alleviated the drawbacks for washing (five cycles) of BC and glycerol caused by the ineffective affinity between glycerol and cellulose by adding succinic acid with catalyst and heat.
Originality/value
The study yields an effective padding process for BC softening and a unique modified BC to contribute added value to textile and leather industries as a sustainable alternative to existing materials and a premise for future research on BC functionalization by using doable technologies in mass production as padding.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge Kyoto Institute of Technology, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), VNU-HCM for supporting this study. The support of Associate Professor Bui Mai Huong, MSc Pham Thi Ngoc Chau, Engineer Vu Kim Lien, Engineer Tran Le My Hoa, Engineer Dinh Ngoc Tuyen, Engineer Mai Thi Anh Thu and Engineer Le Thi Hong Nu for testing and providing equipment was acknowledged.
Conflict of interest: The authors have no relevant financial or nonfinancial interests to disclose.
Authors contribution: Conceptualization: H.N.P. and S.O.; methodology: H.N.P. and S.O.; formal analysis and investigation: H.N.P.; writing – original draft preparation: H.N.P.; writing – review and editing: S.O. and H.N.P.; supervision: S.O.
Citation
Phan, H.N. and Okubayashi, S. (2024), "Modification of dehydrated bacterial cellulose with glycerol and succinic acid by using padding method for textile applications", Research Journal of Textile and Apparel, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/RJTA-10-2023-0111
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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