Processing of Cellulose Using Ionic Liquids

The processing of cellulose dissolved in ionic liquids (ILs) enables the development of new materials. Besides the established production of cellulosic fiber products, interesting technical applications are developed like super micro filament fibers, cellulose/chitin blend fibers, precursors for carbon fibers, and all-cellulose composites. This review provides a detailed summary of these new developments and describes how ILs are selected for the processing of cellulose with a particular emphasis on industrial realization. State-of-the-art spinning processes are reviewed and it is illustrated how uniquely selected ILs can be used not only for established fiber spinning but for the development of new cellulose-based materials.