Cellulose regeneration and spinnability from ionic liquids

Abstract

Ionic liquid solutions of cellulose or dopes can be spun into Lyocell-type textile fibers by dry-jet wet spinning. An extruded dope is drawn over an air gap into water, where the water hydrates the ionic liquid and cellulose is regenerated. Spinnability studies have concentrated on the deformation and failure modes in the air gap and thus the rheology of the unhydrated spinning dope. Herein, a breach in the bath, another failure mode, is discussed. Dopes are prepared from the good spinning solvents NMMO·H₂O and [DBNH]OAc and the poor spinning solvents [emim]OAc and [TMGH]OAc. The diffusion constants for water diffusing inwards and for ionic liquid diffusing outwards the emerging filament are measured offline. The resiliences and strengths of cellulose–ionic liquid solutions with different hydration stoichiometries are measured by means of rheometry. By calculating the diffusion dynamics, the resilience distribution of the forming filament is simulated. Gel strength distribution accounts for the tendency of [emim]OAc dopes to undergo a telescope-type breach, whereas the gelatinous solution state of [TMGH]OAc dopes accounts for their poor spinnability.