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Updated: Nov 13, 2025
Pretreatment of Lignocellulosic Biomass with Low-cost Ionic Liquids
Published on: August 10, 2016
A biaxially stretched cellulose film prepared from ionic liquid solution
Jiqiang Wan1, Huailing Diao2, Jian Yu3
1Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Engineering Plastics, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, China; Technology Center, China Tobacco Henan Industrial Co., Ltd., Zhengzhou, 450000, China.
Manufacturing high-performance cellulose films is now eco-friendly and cost-effective. Biaxial stretching significantly enhances mechanical properties and thermal stability by controlling microfibril orientation.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Cellulose films are versatile materials with applications in various industries.
- Developing high-performance cellulose films using sustainable methods is an ongoing research focus.
- Ionic liquids offer a promising medium for cellulose processing due to their unique solvation properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a high-performance cellulose film using an environmentally friendly and cost-effective process.
- To investigate the effects of biaxial stretching on the structural and mechanical properties of cellulose films.
- To understand the relationship between microfibril orientation and film performance.
Main Methods:
- Cellulose was dissolved in an ionic liquid.
- The resulting solution was cast into a film.
- The film underwent biaxial stretching at varying transverse stretching ratios (TSR).
- Mechanical properties (tensile strength, elastic modulus) and coefficient of thermal expansion were measured.
- Microfibril orientation was analyzed using birefringence and 2D X-ray Diffraction (XRD).
Main Results:
- Biaxial stretching significantly improved tensile strength and elastic modulus in the transverse direction (TD).
- The coefficient of thermal expansion in the TD was reduced with increasing TSR.
- Balanced mechanical performance was achieved between the machine direction (MD) and TD.
- Transverse stretching induced a transition from uniaxial to homogeneous planar microfibril orientation.
- Microfibril orientation influenced chain orientation during gel drying, confirmed by birefringence and 2D XRD.
Conclusions:
- Biaxially stretched cellulose films manufactured via ionic liquid processing exhibit enhanced structural and mechanical properties.
- The ionic liquid process combined with biaxial stretching offers a viable route for producing advanced cellulose materials.
- These improved cellulose films hold potential for diverse applications requiring high performance.
