STRUCTURE OF BACTERIAL CELLULOSE BRIGHTENER COMPLEX FROM ASPECT OF BEHAVIOR OF ITS MERCERIZATION

The structure of the cellulose-brightener complex obtained from the Acetobacter-culture in the presence of a fluorescent brightener was examined from the aspect of mercerization. The cellulose from the culture with the brightener showed characteristic X-ray diffraction indicating the formation of the crystalline complex with the brightener, regardless of the strain cell and brightener concentration of the medium. The brightener content in the complex from the incubated medium with it of below 0.05 wt% increased with its concentration. In the case of more than 0.05 wt%, the sites of the complex being able to dye were saturated by the brightener. The resistance toward alkali of the never-dried complex decreased with decreasing brightener content, and that of the complex from the incubated medium with the brightener of about 0.005 wt% became minimum. The resistance toward alkali of the dried complex including the brightener of 0.059 mol mol−1 of glucose residue, became higher than that of the never-dried sample. In contrast, that of the dried complex including the brightener of 0.095 mol, became lower than that of the never-dried sample. © 1990, The Society of Polymer Science, Japan. All rights reserved.