Influence of Drying Method on the Properties of Bacterial Cellulose Nonwovens – Review on the Textile and Fashion Application Potential

Abstract

Bacterial cellulose is a type of bio-cellulose material that has several application potentials in various industries including the textile and fashion industries. The most addressed benefits of higher water holding capacity and absorption capabilities are only in the wet stage. Extreme hydrophilic nature, bulky structure, and poor handling properties restrict the wet usage of bacterial cellulose within limited sectors like wound dressing. A dry state and long storage capacity without structural changes in the atmospheric condition are the essential requirements of textile material. Despite the highly sustainable nature, environment-friendly production methods, the poor structural and mechanical properties of bacterial cellulose nonwoven at dry state limit their application in the textile and fashion sector. This review aims to analyze the various drying techniques researched to understand their influence on the structure, mechanical, moisture, handle and comfort properties of the dried bacterial cellulose. The results showed that out of several drying methods, freeze-dried and room temperature dried samples showed better retainment of the original structure of bacterial cellulose. The higher temperature drying methods developed a compact, non-porous, stiff, hydrophobic, and brittle structure. Though the lower temperature drying methods possessed good properties, their higher rehydration ability was found to be not suitable for textile application. This review also outlines the need for future research by considering textile-related properties like water vapor permeability, air permeability, and handle-related aspects.

Keywords

• bacterial cellulose
• drying methods
• drying mechanism
• mechanical properties
• handle properties
• textile applications