1. Structural modification of bacterial cellulose fibrils under ultrasonic irradiation
- Author
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Eleni Alkmini Dimitrakopoulou, Erminda Tsouko, Ioanna Mandala, Apostolos A. Koutinas, Costas Fasseas, and Paraskevi Paximada
- Subjects
Polymers and Plastics ,Sonication ,02 engineering and technology ,010402 general chemistry ,Fibril ,01 natural sciences ,law.invention ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Magazine ,Rheology ,law ,Materials Chemistry ,Cellulose ,Aqueous solution ,Viscosity ,Organic Chemistry ,Water ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Elasticity ,0104 chemical sciences ,chemistry ,Chemical engineering ,Bacterial cellulose ,Acetobacteraceae ,Ultrasonic sensor ,0210 nano-technology - Abstract
Ιn the present study we investigated ultrasounds as a pretreatment process for bacterial cellulose (BC) aqueous suspensions. BC suspensions (0.1–1% wt) subjected to an ultrasonic treatment for different time intervals. Untreated BC presented an extensively entangled fibril network. When a sonication time of 1 min was applied BC fibrils appeared less bundled and dropped in width from 110 nm to 60 nm. For a longer treatment (3–5 min) the width of the fibrils increased again to 100 nm attributed to an entanglement of their structure. The water holding capacity (WHC) and ζ-potnential of the suspensions was proportional to the sonication time. Their viscosity and stability were also affected; an increase could be seen at short treatments, while a decrease was obvious at longer ones. Concluding, a long ultrasonic irradiation led to similar BC characteristics as the untreated, but a short treatment may be a pre-handling method for improving BC properties.
- Published
- 2016