Dissolution and regeneration membrane of cellulose in ionic liquid

Cotton pulp was dissolved in ionic liquids BmimCl and EmimAc and regenerated membrane was successfully prepared.Its dissolution process was observed by polarizing microscope.The structural differences between cotton pulp and regenerated cellulose membrane were investigated using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetry (TG) measurements.The results showed that cotton pulp was directly dissolved by ionic liquids and its crystalline form transformed from cellulose Ⅰ to cellulose Ⅱ.The regenerated cellulose membranes obtained showed a dense and smooth structure and displayed a slight thermal stability loss.The tensile strength could be up to 94.55MPa and 39.15MPa from BmimCl and EmimAc, respectively.