Cellulose membrane prodn. by culturing Acetobacter

摘要

Prodn. of membranes from bacterial cellulose comprises (1) submerged growth of cellulose-producing acetic acid bacteria at 18-35 deg.C in a stationary culture at pH 5.5-6.5, on a nutrient medium contg. assimilable C sources, proteins and salts; (2) removing, and discarding, any morphologically non-uniform cellulose layers which have been formed during an exponential growth phase, and (3) isolating, and purifying, morphologically uniform cellulose layers formed during the stationary growth phase. More specifically, the initial bacterial titre is sufficiently high to ensure that the stationary growth phase is reached immediately, and even the first layers formed are uniform. These layers are treated with base (esp. dil. NaOH) to destroy residual bacteria, then neutralised with acid (esp. acetic acid) and washed with deionised water.