Banca de DEFESA: CLÁUDIO JOSÉ GALDINO DA SILVA JUNIOR

SUSTAINABLE TEXTILES: BIOTECHNOLOGICAL PROCESSES USING BACTERIAL CELLULOSE

fashion; design; biotechnology; packaging; biocellulose; natural dyes;

The high consumption of textiles and packaging driven by globalization generates excess purchases and discards, resulting in waste and pollution, especially of non-biodegradable polymers. The involvement of new designers seeks to promote conscious trends. Microbial cellulose, obtained by bacterial fermentation, emerges as a sustainable alternative, enabling the production of environmentally friendly packaging and textiles, combating environmental challenges linked to excessive consumption. The study addresses the future of fashion and biotextiles, highlighting the potential of Bacterial Cellulose (BC) for vegan, naturally dyed and water-resistant leather, and for sustainable packaging reinforced with sugarcane bagasse (SCB). The BC production process used in the research involves the fermentation of a culture medium based on Camellia sinensis by a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts (SCOBY). For the manufacture of the biotextile, BC was used to produce the surfaces and the dyeing involved the use of natural plant-based dyes extracted from Allium cepa L., Punica granatum and Eucalyptus globulus L, in addition to the waterproofing was done with extracts of Melaleuca alternifolia and Copernicia prunifera. In the process of sustainable packaging composed of BC and SCB, an innovative method of fragmentation and reconstitution was used that avoids the waste of biomass. After production, the characteristics of the materials were analyzed, for the biotextile the results confirmed that the biomaterial has high tensile strength (maximum: 247.21±16.52 N) and the contact angle with the water was 83.96°, indicating a low interaction of water with the material. On the other hand, for the packaging, especially the 0.7 BC/0.3 SCB compound, they showed considerable tensile strength, reaching 46.22 MPa, almost three times higher than that of pure SCB (17.43 MPa), in addition to having excellent flexibility. The surface was also examined by scanning electron microscopy, revealing fibers with a diameter of 83.18 nm (BC), with greater adhesion after the reconstitution process and, consequently, greater tear resistance compared to SCB in its pure form. The results of this study demonstrate the potential of BC for the development of new durable, vegan and water-resistant fashion products, as well as sustainable packaging, proving its versatility and importance to the market.