Open Access

ARTICLE

Improved Permeability Properties for Bacterial Cellulose/ Montmorillonite Hybrid Bionanocomposite Membranes by In-Situ Assembling

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1 Materials + Technologies Research Group, Polytechnic School, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of the Basque Country, Plza. Europa 1, 20018, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
2 POLYMAT, Department of Polymer Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 20080, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
3 Macrobehavior-Mesostructure-Nanotechnology Service-SGIker (UPV/EHU), Polytechnic School, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of the Basque Country, Plza. Europa 1, 20018, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain

*Corresponding authors: ;

Journal of Renewable Materials 2016, 4(1), 57-65. https://doi.org/10.7569/JRM.2015.634124

Abstract

Bacterial cellulose/montmorillonite (BCMMT) hybrid bionanocomposite membranes were prepared by in-situ assembling or one-step biosynthesis process. The presence of MMT in BC membranes was confi rmed by thermogravimetric analysis and quantifi ed by mass spectrometry, resulting in bionanocomposites with MMT contents between 7–13 wt%. The incorporation of MMT during BC biosynthesis modifi ed BC morphology and led to lower porosity, even though higher water holding capacity was achieved. Bionanocomposites showed improved thermal stability and water vapor and oxygen gas barrier properties up to 70 and 80% with respect to neat BC membranes. This improvement was related to the tortuous path of gas diffusion created by MMT nanoplatelets due to the high extent of dispersion achieved, as observed by XRD. SEM micrographs confi rmed MMT was fi nely dispersed between BC nanofi brils and a more compact structure was observed as MMT content increased. Thus, the in-situ process can be used as an alternative method to obtain cellulose/MMT hybrid bionanocomposite that would have potential applications as reinforcing element.

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Keywords

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