Optimizing Bacterial Cellulose Paper Production for Folding Origami

Origami, the art of folding 3D structures from paper, has experienced a new wave in interest in the engineering world. Using origami allows for more intricate and complex forms that can be carbonized to make materials useful in other fields. Our research aimed to create origami structures by manufacturing and folding a paper-like film made from bacterial cellulose. After growing the cellulose from a culture, we had to find a way to dry it so that it folded well. We cut pieces of the cellulose and then used a food dehydrator at different settings to find which created the idea origami paper. We looked at whether the paper was uniform, the number of defects it had, and how easy it was to fold. Our results expressed that drying at a temperature below or at 95°F and drying for at least 3 hours made higher quality paper that was easy to fold. Finding a way to dry the cellulose will help the process of manufacturing and folding easier and eventually able to be reproduced in factories