We have achieved a novel, one-step dissolution, and cost-effective route to produce high stiffness cellulose fibers, using low molecular weight microcrystalline cellulose that is usually used for low mechanical performance applications (matrix for pharmaceutical tablets and food ingredients, etc.). Optically anisotropic cellulose solutions were prepared, by dissolving high concentrations of microcrystalline cellulose in an ionic liquid using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as a co-solvent. Highly aligned, stiff cellulose fibers were dry-jet wet spun from those solutions, which could potentially be used as reinforcements for composite materials as well as precursors for carbon fibers. This process presents a new route to produce highly stiff cellulose fibers with superior moduli (~40GPa) and the same specific modulus (2.7 × 10<sup>7</sup> Nm kg<sup>-1</sup>) as E-glass fibers, while significantly boosting the manufacturing efficiency (86% reduction in processing time) and economy (30% reduction in processing cost).

Manufacturing high performance cellulose fibres from solution

255th National Meeting (2018)

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