Micro/Nano Papers from Bagasse Pulp Reinforced by Bacterial Cellulose Nanofibers

The aim of this research was to used bacterial cellulose (BC) as a biodegradable reinforcing agent in bagasse (BG) paper sheets. BC was cultured by Komagataeibacter nataicola and defibrillated into isolated nanofibers by using microfluidizer. Micro/Nano (BG/BC) papers were prepared by adding 0.5 and 5 wt% BC in BG pulp and then the paper sheets were fabricated by compression molding. The morphology, physical and tensile properties of the prepared sheets were studied. It was found that the adding BC increased the density of BG sheets while their porosity was decreased. SEM images confirmed that BC filled gaps and bridged between BG fibers leading to a raise in fiber bonding. With increasing BC content, the mechanical properties of paper sheets were clearly improved. The addition of 5 wt% BC significantly enhanced the tensile strength and elongation at break of the reinforced sheets by 47% and 117%, respectively. Furthermore, the tensile index and breaking length of the BG sheets were increased for approximately 35%.