Bionanocomposite fibers based on cellulose and montmorillonite using ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate

Abstract

Regenerated cellulose/montmorillonite (RC/MMT) nanocomposite fiber materials were prepared via wet spinning process using an environmentally friendly ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate. The nanocomposite fibers were characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis, and tensile analysis. FT-IR analysis revealed the presence of cellulose II crystalline structure in RC/MMT nanocomposite fibers. Considerable improvements in thermal stability and char yield were observed in nanocomposite fibers compared to pure RC fibers. The T20 values of RC fibers improved by 10 °C from 301.8 to 311.9 °C with the incorporation of 6 wt% of MMT. In addition, the tensile strength and Young’s modulus of RC fibers also improved by 23 and 70 %, respectively with 6 wt% MMT. XRD and SEM results depicted good dispersion of MMT along with enhanced interactions between MMT and cellulose matrix.