Hydrophobic properties of bacterial cellulose using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and SiO2 nano colloid as a raw material candidate.

Hydrophobic material intended for a biomedical application was treated from hydrophilic bacterial cellulose. The bacterial cellulose was dried by a hydraulic hot-pressed machine to prevent penetration of the respiratory droplet, then coated with hydrophobic materials to prevent droplet attachments. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and SiO₂ nano colloid were used as a hydrophobic agent for the bacterial cellulose with water contact angles of 109,6° ± 3,3 and 115,2° ± 3,27 respectively. The water absorption time has been tested, bacterial cellulose with PDMS showed more than 60 minutes to hold droplet on its surface compared to bacterial cellulose with SiO₂ nano colloid which only lasted up to 45 minutes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]