Biopolymers have been enjoying increased attention as green alternatives to synthetic materials. Manipulating biopolymers, such as cotton and silk, by welding them together and integrating materials with structural, optical, magnetic, electronic, and/or sensing properties can generate biomaterials with unique functionalities. These manipulations can be achieved using a process called “Natural Fiber Welding” (NFW), where an ionic liquid (IL) is used to selectively disrupt the forces holding together natural biopolymers, allowing for the manipulation of those forces to incorporate biopolymers, nanoparticles, and/or other functional molecules into, or on, the natural polymer substrate. In this project, the effects of IL composition and application on the NFW process were evaluated. Materials were characterized by methods including confocal fluorescence, scanning electron, and atomic force microscopies, infrared and Raman spectroscopies, surface area analysis, and tensile strength testing.

Ionic liquid property effects on the natural fiber welding process

255th National Meeting (2018)

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