Fabrication of nanocomposites for poly(lactic acid) and bacterial cellulose nanofiber by counter collision in water

Acetobacter xylinum secretes cellulose nano-fibers with about 50 nm in width and 10 nm in thickness, which have high structural properties. The fibers secreted from the bacterium have strong interaction with each other to form 3D network structures that is called "pellicle". The counter collision in water is a method that natural fibers encounter to collide with a high pressure, which breaks only interactions on the surface of them. This results in liberation of the natural fibers at the micro scale into the nano-fibers. When this method is applied to the pellicle, the network of BC pellicle is cleaved to liberate the nano-fibers into water. As a result, it is expected that the nano-fibers have specific surface properties, including high absorbability. Poly(lactic acid) as another bio-based polymer material has a fatal fault such as low heat softening point and fragile. The miscible blending of this polymer with another fibrous material is among a method that could compensate the disadvantage. Therefore, in this study, it was attempted to fabricate nanocomposites of poly(lactic acid) and BC nano-fibers by the counter collision in water.