Research and Application of Bacterial Cellulose as a Fashionable Biomaterial in Dyeing and Printing

Ying Tang (), Yuqing Xue, Jiugang Yuan and Jin Xu
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Ying Tang: School of Digital Technology and Innovation Design, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
Yuqing Xue: School of Digital Technology and Innovation Design, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
Jiugang Yuan: College of Textile Science and Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
Jin Xu: College of Textile Science and Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 17, 1-20

Abstract: The fashion industry is facing increasing challenges related to textile waste and environmental pollution, driving the need for sustainable material innovations. Bacterial cellulose (BC), a biodegradable and non-polluting biomaterial, has emerged as a promising alternative for the sustainable transformation of fashion materials. Investigations into printing and dyeing techniques are expected to provide methodological frameworks for the design and functional application of BC materials, promoting their adoption and development in the fashion sector. This study, using the kombucha culture method, systematically investigated the cultivation, purification, plasticization, and drying processes of BC as a fashion material, examined its color characteristics using plant and reactive dyeing, and evaluated the effects of pattern printing and the feasibility of traditional plant pigment stencil printing, digital printing, and cyanotype printing on BC. Based on these printing and dyeing methods, digital printing combined with reactive dyeing—offering richer print effects, a wider color gamut, and higher rubbing fastness—was selected to realize the fashion design series Photosynthesis using BC as the primary material. This research contributes methodological insights into the integration of bio-based materials in fashion design and promotes the advancement of sustainable practices within the textile and apparel industries.

Keywords: sustainable fashion; biomaterial; bacterial cellulose (BC); dyeing and printing; design applications (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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