Aplicação e caracterização de celulose bacteriana impregnada com timol

Abstract

This study aimed to characterize bacterial cellulose films impregnated with thymol as physical-chemical characteristics, as well as mechanical and barrier properties. Bacterial cellulose films were produced by static fermentation process, purified and immersed in solution containing thymol at 0%, 4%, 6% and 8%. The films impregnated with thymol were characterized in terms of thickness, grammage, density, swelling index at pH 1,8 and pH 8,2, rate of water vapor permeability, water vapor permeability, moisture adsorption isotherm and scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), tensile strength and analysis of the film components by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The addition of thymol in bacterial cellulose films did not affect the thickness, but it increased the grammage, density and swelling index in solutions at pH 8,2, higher possibility of quality loss caused by the moisture with the increase of energy interaction of the molecules adsorbed in the multilayer and of the water adsorption sites in a single layer, rise in the rate of water vapor permeability, increase in crystallinity, elasticity and rupture stress, and reduction in the yield stress. The scanning electron microscopy showed films with a dense, reticulated and porous matrix, suggesting multiple layers and no visible residues of thymol. The infrared spectrums showed that thymol did not affect the chemical structure of the bacterial cellulose films. In general, the addition of thymol as antimicrobial substance, did not significantly affect the structure of the bacterial cellulose, wherein the thymol at 6% concentration presented best results by the reduction of water absorption, increase in the traction and crystallinity of the films.