Kombucha-Derived Cellulose Non-Wovens: Growth Optimization, Mechanics, and Re-Processing

The environmental impact of synthetic textiles has prompted the need for sustainable and re-processable alternatives. Here, we correlated the growth conditions used to produce kombucha-derived cellulose non-woven mats with their mechanical performance as a function of post-processing. Exploration into fermentation variables revealed that after 14 days, thick, uniform cellulose non-wovens were obtained under mildly acidic conditions at 30 °C with moderate inoculum and carbon-source loading. Next, the mechanical properties of thin and thick wet, as well as lyophilized and oven-dried non-wovens, were investigated using uniaxial tensile testing and rheology. Interestingly, lyophilized mats that were re-hydrated exhibited the highest ultimate tensile strength. Finally, in a proof-of-concept experiment, we explored if kombucha-grown clothing could be enzymatically degraded and re-processed using electrospinning into new nanofiber mats. Together, these results provide insight into the biomanufacturing of mechanically robust textiles that can be enzymatically degraded and then re-processed into next-generation textiles.