Chitin/cellulose blend fibers prepared by wet anddry-wetspinning

We describe the wet and dry-wet spinning of multifilament cellulosic composite fibers, namely chitin/cellulose fibers. The direct solution process for the two biopolymers based on an ionic liquid as solvent represents an environmentally friendly and alternative technology to the industrially applied viscose and lyocell process. Both cellulose and chitin possess good solubility in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium propionate ([C(2)C(1)Im][OPr]) and were spun into multifilament composite fibers. Moreover, for the first time, pure chitin multifilament fibers were obtained by dry-wet spinning. The effect of chitin addition on the filament properties was investigated and evaluated by microscopic, spectroscopic, and mechanical analyses.

Automated summary

This study describes the wet and dry-wet spinning of multifilament cellulosic composite fibers, particularly chitin/cellulose fibers, using an ionic liquid as a solvent. The addition of chitin was found to have significant effects on the properties of the composite fibers, which were investigated through microscopic, spectroscopic, and mechanical analyses. The environmentally friendly direct solution process represents an alternative technology to traditional viscose and lyocell processes.