Bacterial Cellulose (BC) Based Rubber Nanocomposites

Carbon black and silica are the prominent fillers used in the rubber industry. However, these fillers can seriously pollute the environment, need to be added in large quantities and carbon black, being produced from fossil fuels demands an alternative filler that is renewable, ubiquitous, less expensive and biodegradable. Though nanocellulose, especially, from plant sources has been explored as reinforcing fillers to a great extent in rubber matrices, they rely on climatic and geographical conditions, require energy-intensive processing, etc. Bacterial cellulose exhibits superior features such as purity, high crystallinity, high modulus and strength making it a potential candidate for reinforcing rubbers. This chapter discusses the production of bacterial cellulose, factors affecting the production, characterization and its influence on the mechanical and viscoelastic properties of natural and synthetic rubbers.