Biosynthesis and characterization of bacterial cellulose membranes presenting relevant characteristics for air/gas filtration

The production of bacterial cellulose has gained prominence in recent years as an alternative for the sustainable production of materials that might be used in diverse processes and applications. The present study discusses the possibility of producing tailored bacterial cellulose membranes in situ, that present relevant characteristics for potential use in air/gas filtration. Various cultivation processes and characterization studies were performed to ascertain the suitability of Komagataeibacter sp. FXV3, Komagataeibacter sp. NFXK3, and K. intermedius LMG 18909 bacterial strains to produce cellulose membranes with diverse properties. Subsequently, the bacterial cellulose films produced were freeze-dried to obtain stable membranes, and extensively characterized for their physicochemical properties. The results obtained showed that different strains enabled the synthesis of membranes with distinctive morphological properties. Moreover, the different carbon sources and ethanol concentrations employed in the cultivation media led to modifications in the cellulose membranes produced by the different Komagataeibacter strains, which further impacted membrane morphology and, ultimately, gas filtration behavior. All the synthesized membranes were fully characterized, showing adequate mechanical properties, and tested for permeance of N2, CO2 and O2, opening perspectives for their use in air/gas filtration.