Novel regenerated cellulosic material prepared by an environmentally-friendly process

Novel regenerated cellulosic materials have been developed using an environmentally-friendly, facile process without releasing any toxic materials. Untreated, cellulose diacetate fibers were immersed in the aqueous caustic solution. The degummed and dried diacetate fibers were heated at a rate of 2 degrees C/min from 30 to 98 degrees C, then treated for 30 min at the same temperature and cooled at a rate of 2 degrees C/min to 30 degrees C, followed by the drainage of the liquid. The heat treated fibers were held under tension to prevent shrinkage during the thermal treatment. The materials possess excellent physical and dyeing properties, are pleasant to touch, and can be used in a variety of industrial fields. The microstructure of these materials is found to have a composite crystalline structure consisting of cellulose II and cellulose IV, exhibiting a lamellar morphology with an increased amorphous fraction, as compared to conventional rayon fibers, which is the main reason for their better elongation and solvent sorption ability. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.