Comparison of direct solvents for regenerated cellulosic fibers via the lyocell process and by means of ionic liquids

Because new technology using ionic liquids (ILs) for cellulose processing enables the spinning of cellulose with various techniques, the resulting fiber property profiles differ significantly, depending on the process parameters. ILs are thermally stable, nontoxic, environmentally friendly solvents and dissolve cellulose directly; this leads to a high flexibility in the complete process chain for man-made cellulosics. A comparison of the manufacture of cellulosic fibers according to the Lyocell process and by means of ILs is presented. The rheological behavior of the spinning dopes, the structures, and the physical textile properties of the prepared fibers were determined. The fibers spun from solutions of cellulose in N-methyl morpholin-N-oxide monohydrate, 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium acetate, and 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium diethyl phosphate were compared. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013