The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 01, 1994
Filed:
May. 07, 1993
John A Hyatt, Kingsport, TN (US);
Robert M Gardner, Gray, TN (US);
Scott R Thatcher, Johnson City, TN (US);
Eastman Chemical Company, Kingsport, TN (US);
Abstract
Provided is a method for controlling the molecular weight (i.e., lowering) of microbially-derived celluloses. The lowering of the molecular weight is achieved by adding 2-deoxy-D-glucose to the liquid or solid medium in which Acetobacter xylinum or any other cellulose-producing microbe is grown. The molecular weight of the cellulose produced by the microbes grown in such media varies approximately inversely with the concentration of 2-deoxy-D-glucose in the culture medium. The method thus provided by the present invention is useful in providing microbial source cellulose which has a number average molecular weight of about 7.times.10.sup.5 to about 1.times.10.sup.4. Such lower molecular weight celluloses are useful in coatings formulations in which a relatively lower viscosity binder is desired.