Cellulose Regeneration and Chemical Recycling : Closing the “Cellulose Gap” Using Environmentally Benign Solvents

• Strategies to mitigate the expected “cellulose gap” include increased use of wood cellulose, fabric reuse, and recycling. Ionic liquids (ILs) are employed for cellulose physical dissolution and shaping in different forms. This review focuses on the regeneration of dissolved cellulose as nanoparticles, membranes, nonwoven materials, and fibers. The solvents employed in these applications include ILs and alkali solutions without and with additives. Cellulose fibers obtained via the carbonate and carbamate processes are included. Chemical recycling (CR) of polycotton (cellulose plus poly(ethylene terephthalate)) is addressed because depending on the recycling approach employed, this process is akin to regeneration. The strategies investigated in CR include preferential dissolution or depolymerization of one component of the blend, and separation of both components using ILs. It is hoped that this review focuses the attention on the potential applications of regenerated cellulose from its solutions and contributes to the important environmental issue of recycling of used materials.

Keyword

cellulose blends

cellulose fibers

cellulose nanoparticles

cellulose regeneration

chemical recycling

films

nonwovens

Additives

Blending

Cellulose

Cellulose films

Dissolution

Ethylene

Ionic liquids

Membranes

Nanoparticles

Natural fibers

Recycling

Textile blends

Textile fibers

Cellulose fiber

Non-wovens

Wood

Dissolving

Mixing

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)