Creation of the elastic eco-clothing material to replace the polyurethane

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K02366
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 08030:Family and consumer sciences, and culture and living-related
• Research Institution: Mukogawa Women's University
• Principal Investigator: SAWATARI Chie 武庫川女子大学, 生活環境学部, 教授 (70196319)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 弾性素材 / バクテリアセルロース / 複合化 / 化学修飾 / 環境

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research started with the aim of creating an elastic clothing material comparable to polyurethane from biomass resources that return to nature after disposal. A pellicle of cellulose fiber (BC) biosynthesized by bacteria (Acetobacter Xylinum) was used as the base material. Although the BC pellicle becomes a hard sheet after natural drying, we tried 1) prevention of hydrogen bond formation during the drying process by compositing, and 2) chemical modification of the BC fiber. As a result, the elastic recovery rate of 80% was maintained after 20 cycles of 40% compressive deformation in the sample obtained by freezing/thawing after compositing BC and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) aqueous solution. This indicated the possibility of using cellulose to prepare materials that can replace polyurethane.

Free Research Field

繊維・高分子科学, 被服材料学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ポリウレタンに代表される弾性素材は，衝撃吸収材や，人工皮革，スニーカーの靴底，ストレッチ衣料素材などの生活材として欠かせないが，化石燃料を資源であること，耐用年数が短く，マイクロプラスチックによる汚染につながること，肌トラブルの心配があることなど，課題が多い．本研究では，自然から生まれ自然に還るセルロース素材を主体とした弾性素材創出の可能性を示した．今後さらに改良すべき課題はあるが，エネルギー問題，環境汚染問題，温暖化問題の軽減に役立つ素材を提案できた．海洋汚染をはじめとする地球への負荷軽減の一助となるだけでなく，皮膚障害のリスクを伴わない快適な衣生活の実現にできると考えている．