Creation of Sewable and Flexible Bacterial Cellulose (BC) Sheet by Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) and Edible Oil Modification

The inherent brittleness of dried bacterial cellulose (BC) films significantly restricts their use in the textile industry. This study addresses this limitation by developing flexible, sewable BC sheets via an environmentally and human-friendly modification. The material was prepared from Acetobacter xylinum NQ-5–derived BC modified with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and plant-based edible oils (a food-grade strategy). Structural analyses (XRD and FTIR) confirmed that this simple modification effectively reduced crystallinity and attenuated the rigidifying hydrogen-bonding network within the BC matrix. Mechanically, the synergistic addition of PEG and coconut oil yielded the lowest bending rigidity (84.2 mg·cm), the highest crease recovery (66.7%), and a drastic ∼91% reduction in Young’s modulus (51.2 MPa) compared to the untreated BC Control. Notably, the modified material achieved a seam stress of 4.67 MPa, reaching a level comparable to standard cotton fabric, whereas the brittle untreated BC Control failed at 1.93 MPa. These structural and mechanical improvements enabled the BC sheets to successfully withstand continuous stitching using a household sewing machine without rupture. Demonstrating practical utility, a bustier prototype was constructed using the modified BC sheets, entirely free of tearing or structural failure during the sewing process. In summary, this study presents a safe, sustainable, and scalable approach that transforms rigid BC into a flexible, truly sewable textile substrate, marking a novel and practical advance toward its application in sustainable apparel and other lifestyle materials.