Controlled molecular reorientation enables strong cellulose fibers regenerated from ionic liquid solutions
Journal article, 2015
Cellulose is difficult to solubilize and undergoes thermal decomposition prior to melting. In recent years ionic liquids have been evaluated as solvents of cellulose. In the regeneration process the non-solvent governs the resulting material's crystallinity. Water adsorbs to amorphous cellulose, acts as plasticizer and lowers the T
g
, hence the degree of crystallinity will affect the potential strain induced reorientation. We prepared regenerated cellulose fibers form ionic liquid using different non-solvents. The influence of shear forces upon cellulose chain alignment during extrusion was simulated in silica based upon rheological measurements. The regenerated fibers had different physical, morphological and mechanical properties. Molecular re-orientation in fibers induced by mechanical strain, at humidities above the T
g
, resulted in much improved mechanical properties with the Young's modulus reaching 23.4 ± 0.8 GPa and the stress at break 504.6 ± 51.9 MPa, which is comparable to commercially available cellulose fibers.
Regeneration process
Ions
Natural fibers
Degree of crystallinity
Cellulose Fibers
Molecular orientation
Mechanical properties
Rheological measurements
Elastic moduli
Molecular reorientation
Regenerated cellulose
Textile fibers
Pyrolysis
Stresses
Solutions
Strain
Ionic liquids
Melting
Reorientation
Cellulose
Amorphous cellulose
Fibers
Ionic liquid
Resulting materials
Liquids
Decomposition
Regenerated cellulose fibers
Solvents
Author
J. Sundberg
V. Guccini
Karl Håkansson
Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry
G. Salazar-Alvarez
Guillermo Toriz Gonzalez
Paul Gatenholm
Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry
Polymer
0032-3861 (ISSN)
Vol. 75 119-124Subject Categories (SSIF 2011)
Polymer Chemistry
DOI
10.1016/j.polymer.2015.08.035