New Paper - Dissolution of Hemp Yarns

Alrefaei, N.S., Hine, P.J. & Ries, M.E. Dissolution of hemp yarns by 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate studied with time-temperature superposition. Cellulose (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-023-05534-9.

This study examined the dissolution of hemp yarns in the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate. Yarns were immersed in the liquid at different temperatures and times, then coagulated in water, forming a composite yarn. Two microscopy methods tracked the growth of the coagulated material, revealing a dissolution activation energy of 78±2 kJ/mol. An important discovery was that coagulated growth followed a diffusion process, with a diffusion coefficient suggesting ions diffusion through a cellulose solution layer controls yarn dissolution. This finding has significant implications for cellulose-based composite production and thus the recycling of cellulose textiles.