Knitting Bacterial Cellulose Filaments Produced from Agro-Industrial By-Products

This research presents bacterial cellulose (BC) filaments knitted from agro-industrial by-products. The fermentation media came from pressed fruit (beetroot, ginger, grape), vegetable beverages, bagasse with different concentrations (1/2.5, 1/5, 1/7.5, and 1/10), and a control medium with unrefined sugar from sugarcane or panela. The BC filaments were obtained from a mixed culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY); functionalized using NaOH purification treatment and glycerol plasticizer; untwisted and twisted with 1-, 2-, and 4-ply; and characterized physically and mechanically by weight, diameter, tensile strength, Young’s modulus, and elongation. The untwisted and 2-ply twisted BC filaments from the fruit medium 1/2.5 showed tensile strength of 272 MPa and 155 MPa, respectively. Finally, control panela filaments with 1-, 2-, and 4-ply and fruit filaments with 2- and 4-ply were knitted in wet states. This research demonstrates the use of by-products to produce BC filaments with knitting properties for textile applications.