Abstract
Ionic liquids (ILs) are becoming important solvents in commerce, but monitoring their purity and performance in industrial applications presents new challenges. Fiber welding technology utilizes ILs to mold and shape natural fibers (cotton, hemp, flax, silk, and wool) into morphologies that are typically attained only using synthetic, petroleum-based non-biodegradable plastics. The result is an atom-efficient process that up-converts fibrous substrates to value-added products and materials. A key aspect of bringing this and other IL-enabled technologies to market relies on efficient monitoring and recycling of IL-based solvents. Implementing online IL quality monitoring enhances the unit economics of these processes. Here, we characterize and report conductivity measurements, refractometry, and ATR–FTIR spectroscopy techniques for online IL monitoring during an industrial fiber welding process. The online analysis enables more efficient recycling of the IL solvent, increasing the process efficiency and product quality.
Highlights
Modern textiles are a multitrillion-dollar industry dominated by synthetic materials derived from nonrenewable petrochemicals
Refractometry, and vibrational spectroscopy measurements that provide critical information to maximize recovery of ionic liquids (ILs) from aqueous/organic mixtures
The dynamic range of this measurement extends to approximately 10 wt % [EMIM][OAc], and the linear range extends to approximately 0.7 wt %
Summary
Modern textiles are a multitrillion-dollar industry dominated by synthetic materials derived from nonrenewable petrochemicals. Textile production releases harmful byproducts into the environment These are often not biodegradable, an issue that has come under increasing environmental scrutiny, especially amid recent concerns of microplastic pollutants.[1] Natural yarns, such as cotton or wool, have been replaced over time with low-cost and customizable synthetic yarns made of synthetic polymers such as polyacrylonitrile, polyesters, and polyamides under trade names Orlon, Dacron, and Nylon, respectively. The performance metrics of cellulosic yarns are driven by the morphology and length of their fibers or staples.[2−4] Potential feedstocks for cellulosic yarns include cotton, hemp, flax, silk, and wool. These sustainable sources include many short fibers, which are economically undesirable and problematic in manufacturing. The IL 1-ethyl-3-methylimidzolium acetate ([EMIM][OAc]) has been shown to be an optimal solvent for the controlled dissolution of cellulose within cotton yarns.[7−9]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
