Electrospun Ultrafine Cationic Cellulose Fibers Produced from Sugarcane Bagasse for Potential Textile Applications.

Andrés Felipe Ochica Larrota,Ricardo Vera-Graziano,Alex López-Córdoba,Edwin Yesid Gómez-Pachón

doi:10.3390/polym13223927

Andrés Felipe Ochica Larrota, Ricardo Vera-Graziano + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13223927

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Abstract

Sugarcane bagasse (SCB) is an abundant by-product of sugar refining that can be utilized as a raw material for cellulose isolation for several industrial applications. Electrospinning has garnered attention in recent years because it allows the preparation of cellulosic materials with unique properties. In this study, cellulose was isolated from sugarcane bagasse and acetylated to fabricate fine acetate cellulose fibers through electrospinning. Subsequently, the electrospun fibers were deacetylated and cationized in order to produce functionalized materials with potential textile applications. The functional fibers were colored with an anionic dye (vinyl sulfone) with and without the presence of salt and were evaluated according to dye fixation, color attributes, morphological characteristics, and thermal stability. Cationic cellulose fibers that were dyed without added salt were found to be brighter and demonstrated better color fixation than those with added salt. In addition, morphological analysis performed using scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that cationized fibers dyed without added salt were better preserved at this stage. The cationic fiber also evidenced a high-temperature resistance, exhibiting a degradation temperature above 236 °C. The results suggest that cellulose fibers dyed in this manner can potentially be considered for use in textile applications due to their suitable dye fixation and tunable porosity (i.e., breathability).

Highlights

Cellulose fibers are widely used in the textile industry as they are renewable, widely available, and have unique structural features, such as high mechanical strength, water holding capacity, low density, and dyeing ability, as well as their resistance to sunlight and repeated laundering
One of the key limitations affecting the production of cellulose textile fibers is their low solubility in common organic solvents and their inability to melt due to strong inter- and intra-molecular hydrogen bonds [3]
The presentedthe thedevelopment developmentofof a process preparation of Thepresent present study presented a process forfor thethe preparation of elecelectrospun cationic cellulose fibersproduced producedfrom fromsugarcanes sugarcanes bagasse, bagasse, an trospun cationic cellulose fibers an industrial industrial bybyproduct, product,for foruse useinintextile textileapplications

Summary

Introduction

Cellulose fibers are widely used in the textile industry as they are renewable, widely available, and have unique structural features, such as high mechanical strength, water holding capacity, low density, and dyeing ability, as well as their resistance to sunlight and repeated laundering. Several methods for the production of cellulose textile fibers have been described [1,4]. Of these methods, electrospinning has become increasingly popular as it allows for cellulosic fibers to be prepared with unique properties [3,5]. One of the key limitations affecting the production of cellulose textile fibers is their low solubility in common organic solvents and their inability to melt due to strong inter- and intra-molecular hydrogen bonds [3]. Cellulose derivatives such as cellulose acetate have been extensively exploited due to their better solubility and electrospinnability [5]

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