Preparation and characterization of novel regenerated cellulose fibers

Novel cellulose multifilament fibers were spun successfully, for the first time, from the cellulose-NaOH/PEG dope on a laboratory scale spinning machine. The tensile strength, elongation at break, and crystallinity of the resulting fibers were 1.94 cN/dtex, 5.72%, and 54%, respectively. The results indicated that the novel cellulose fibers have a structure typical for a family Il cellulose and possessed relatively high degrees of crystallinity. SEM images revealed that the cross-section of the fibers is circular, similar to natural silk. This new approach offers great potential for cellulose fiber on an industrial scale with a cheap, non-polluting, and shorter production cycle when compared with that of the viscose technology.