| Abstract: | Based on experiments conducted, it has been found that bacterial cellulose, like spruce cellulose, is soluble in an aqueous NaOH solution with the concentration of 8.5% at a temperature of −5°C if the polymerization degree of the cellulose does not exceed 400. When 1% of urea is added to the NaOH solution, the solubility of cellulose increases; and, in this solvent, bacterial cellulose may be dissolved so long as its polymerization degree is below 560. The results of these experiments are of great practical importance since they point to the possibility of the preparation of cellulose spinning solutions suitable for fiber formation. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 67:1871–1876, 1998 |
