Multiscale polyethylene fiber – bacterial nanocellulose composites through combined laser fusion and bacterial in situ synthesis
Abstract
Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE) fibers and bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) display exceptional mechanical properties alongside the outstanding tribological properties of UHMW-PE while showing unrestricted biocompatibility. For combining the intrinsic advantages of both materials, the present work demonstrates an approach that integrates the slurry-based laser fusion of PE-polyvinylpyrrolidone (PE-PVP) composites and the subsequent bacterial biosynthesis of nanocellulose. PE-PVP composites exhibiting a fraction of 10 % of UHMW-PE fibers were additively manufactured through the locally selective laser-based layer-wise evaporation and subsequent sintering of aqueous suspensions, yielding fiber composites with a water-soluble matrix. The in situ synthesis of bacterial nanocellulose exploits the gelling and dissolving of high-molecular PVP in aqueous media. By allowing for the infiltration of printed PE-PVP composites with nanocellulose-producing Komagataeibacter xylinus, a multiscale composite of polyethylene fibers and bacterial nanocellulose was obtained, corroborating the infiltration of micrometer-scale PE fibers with nanoscale cellulose fibers. Release experiments using methylene blue confirmed the potentials of PE-BNC composites for drug delivery applications, showing first order sigmoidal release kinetics.
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Research ethics: Not applicable.
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Informed consent: Not applicable.
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Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission. S.S.: Conceptualization, Investigation, Methodology, Validation, Visualization, and Writing – Original Draft; M.W.: Writing – Original Draft, Investigation, Methodology; A.K.: Writing – Review and Editing; U.R.: Investigation; D.F.: Writing – Review and Editing, Funding Acquisition, D.D.: Writing – Review and Editing, Funding Acquisition.
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Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: None declared.
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Conflict of interest: The authors state no conflicts of interest.
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Research funding: None declared.
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Data availability: The data are available upon reasonable request from the corresponding author.
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© 2025 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Frontmatter
- Editorial
- PPS2024 Ferrol: advances and perspectives in polymer processing
- Research Articles
- Applying network theory to the modeling of multilayer flows in slot dies: a use case for symbolic regression-based co-extrusion prediction models
- Multiscale polyethylene fiber – bacterial nanocellulose composites through combined laser fusion and bacterial in situ synthesis
- Novel approach to produce reinforced plastic weld seams using an additive friction stir welding process
- Local thermal activation for a combined thermoforming and 3D-printing process
- A new recycling strategy for airbag waste
- Highly electro-conductive PEDOT based thermoplastic composites: effect of filler form factor on electrical percolation threshold
- Cavity balance improvement for injection molded parts via automated flow leader generation
- Application of artificial intelligence techniques to select the objectives in the multi-objective optimization of injection molding
- Modeling melt conveying and power consumption of conveying elements in co-rotating twin-screw extruders
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Frontmatter
- Editorial
- PPS2024 Ferrol: advances and perspectives in polymer processing
- Research Articles
- Applying network theory to the modeling of multilayer flows in slot dies: a use case for symbolic regression-based co-extrusion prediction models
- Multiscale polyethylene fiber – bacterial nanocellulose composites through combined laser fusion and bacterial in situ synthesis
- Novel approach to produce reinforced plastic weld seams using an additive friction stir welding process
- Local thermal activation for a combined thermoforming and 3D-printing process
- A new recycling strategy for airbag waste
- Highly electro-conductive PEDOT based thermoplastic composites: effect of filler form factor on electrical percolation threshold
- Cavity balance improvement for injection molded parts via automated flow leader generation
- Application of artificial intelligence techniques to select the objectives in the multi-objective optimization of injection molding
- Modeling melt conveying and power consumption of conveying elements in co-rotating twin-screw extruders