Determining the water holding capacity of microbial cellulose.

Comparing reported water holding capacities for microbial cellulose is difficult because different methods are used. The different methods affect both the average value and the precision. In this new method, a vacuum of 10 mm H2O (98 Pa) is applied to the wet cellulose to stabilize the sample prior to determining the wet weight. This simple method lowers the standard deviation by 50% or more over other methods.