Synthesis of ultra-high-molecular-weight microbial polyesters and development of high-tensile-strength and high-modulus fibers by ultra-stretching technique

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25620168
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Polymer/Textile materials
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Iwata Tadahisa 東京大学, 農学生命科学研究科, 教授 (30281661)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 柘植 丈治 東京工業大学, 総合理工学研究科(研究院), 准教授 (70332260)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: バイオベースプラスチック / 生分解性プラスチック / 微生物産生ポリエステル / フィルム / 繊維 / 酵素分解 / 超高分子量ポリエステル / 生合成

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The aims of this study are the synthesis of ultra-high-molecular-weight microbial polyesters (UHMW-PHA) by using a recombinant E. coli and the development of new drawing techniques to process the high tensile strength and high modulus fibers. High tensile strength and high modulus fibers with tensile strength =1.3 GPa, elongation at break=35%, and Young’s modulus = 18 GPa were succeeded bythe combination of cold-drawing and two-step drawing methods. When added the normal molecular weight PHA into UHMW-PHA, the mechanical properties of fibers was further improved. Furthermore, the fibers processed by one-step drawing method after partially growing the crystal nuclei have micro-pores into fibers. Furthermore, the porous fibers were impregnated with an antibiotic drug and the enzymatic degradation and controlled drug release tests were carried out by using an extracellular PHB depolymerase purified from Ralstonia pickettii T1 is also addressed.

Free Research Field

高分子材料学