Recycling of cotton fabrics by ionic liquid dissolution process

Cotton fabrics were recycled by dissolving in two kinds of imidazole chloride salt ionic liquids.The dissolution concentrations of cotton fabrics in the two kinds ionic liquids were compared at various temperatures. Influences of dissolving temperature on dissolving time and degree of polymerization were investigated. The structure and properties of the regenerated cellulose films with different dissolving time were also characterized. The results showed that the cotton fabrics can be effectively reclaimed by this method. The surface of the regenerated cellulose film from cotton fabric with mass fraction of 4%dissolving in 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride at 110 ℃ was neat with compact and uniform fracture,and the breaking strength and elongation of the film were 38. 5 MPa and 6%, respectively. The crystallinity and thermostability decreased with the prolongation of dissolving time,and then mechanical property accordingly decreased.