Poly(beta -hgdroxybutyrate) (PHB) is st bacteria storage biodegradable poly
ester that is considered to be a natural substitute for synthetic thermopla
stics in many applications. However, brittleness hampers its utility. This
study shows that oriented elastic fibers of PHB with favorable mechanical p
roperties (360-MPa tensile strength and 5.6-GPa Young's modulus) can be pro
duced by the spinning and drawing of a concentrated PHB gel using a three-s
tage fiber processing technique. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.