Unidirectional All-Cellulose Composites from Flax via Controlled Impregnation with Ionic Liquid

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Access rights
openAccess
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
A1 Alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä
Date
2020-05-01
Major/Subject
Mcode
Degree programme
Language
en
Pages
13
1-13
Series
Polymers, Volume 12, issue 5
Abstract
Mechanically strong all-cellulose composites are very attractive in the terms of fully bio-based and bio-degradable materials. Unidirectional flax-based all-cellulose composites are prepared via facile room-temperature impregnation with an ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium acetate. To determine the optimal processing conditions, the kinetics of flax dissolution in this solvent is first studied using optical microscopy. Composite morphology, crystallinity, density, the volume fraction of cellulose II and tensile properties are investigated, indicating that flax dissolution should be within certain limits. On the one hand, the amount of cellulose II formed through dissolution and coagulation should be high enough to “fuse” flax fibers, resulting in a density increase. On the other hand, only the surface layer of the fibers should be dissolved to maintain the strength provided by the inner secondary layer and avoid a detrimental decrease in crystallinity. The highest Young’s modulus and strength, 10.1 GPa and 151.3 MPa, respectively, are obtained with a crystallinity of 43% and 20 vol% of cellulose II.
Description
Keywords
natural fibers, ionic liquid, composites, mechanical properties, structure-property correlations
Other note
Citation
Chen, F, Sawada, D, Hummel, M, Sixta, H & Budtova, T 2020, ' Unidirectional All-Cellulose Composites from Flax via Controlled Impregnation with Ionic Liquid ', Polymers, vol. 12, no. 5, 1010, pp. 1-13 . https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12051010