Cellulose fibers can be produced in an efficient and environmentally sustainable manner by using ionic liquids. This is the result drawn by BASF and the renowned Denkendorf Institute for Textile Chemistry and Chemical Fibers (ITCF).
BASF sells its ionic liquids under the brand name Basionic, and the corresponding processes are marketed under the name Basil.
Practical tests BASF and the ITCF have jointly carried out for more than a year have shown that the efficiency of the production process can be greatly enhanced by the use of ionic liquids.
This is because in ionic liquids, cellulose shows clearly better results for dissolving behavior and technically useful concentrations. “Cellulose fibers produced by means of ionic liquids have already now properties comparable to those of conventionally made fibers,” said Dr. Eric Uerdingen of the New Business Development team within BASF's Intermediates division.
Around the globe, most cellulose fibers are manufactured from so-called dissolving pulp by means of the viscose process. Although this technology has been improved continuously in the past decades, it consumes more than two metric tons of chemical additives and considerable fresh water volumes per metric ton of cellulose fiber made, requiring major waste water treatment efforts.
In contrast to this, the ionic liquids used as solvent can be almost entirely recycled. This also applies to the water required in fiber spinning. In addition to this, additive consumption drops significantly.
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