Extensional rheology of cellulose-ionic liquid (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate) solution

Objective of this project is to study whether extensional rheology is applicable for solutions of cellulose in ionic liquids. Rheological properties of cellulose-IL solutions have been studied widely with rotational rheometers. The lack of publications in the field of extensional rheology and interest towards supplemental information for dry-wet spinning process motivated for further experiments.Two polymeric raw materials are used; cotton linters and sulphite pulp. Pulps are characterized (molar mass distribution, intrinsic viscosity) and dissolved in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate at different concentrations. A capillary break-up extensional rheometer (CaBER) is used for the rheological characterization of the extensional behaviour of the solutions. The results are compared with results from a conventional rotational rheometer.