Effect of Wet Spinning and Stretching to Enhance Mechanical Properties of Cellulose Nanofiber Filament

Abstract

Long filament made with nanocellulose has been researched due to its eminent mechanical and physical properties for next generation of natural fiber reinforced polymer composites. Wet spinning process for long filament fabrication in conjunction with stretching method has advantages of high efficiency and low-cost. To fabricate homogeneous and strong cellulose nanofiber filament, this paper experimentally investigates the process parameters, including spinning speed, pre-dry temperature and inner diameter of needle. In addition to the spinning process, a mechanical stretching process is taken into account to further improve the mechanical properties of the cellulose nanofiber filament. The effects of wet spinning and stretching are evaluated by using scanning electron microscope, tensile test and 2D wide angle X-ray diffraction. As a result, the stretched cellulose nanofiber filament exhibits its Young’s modulus of 37.5 GPa and tensile strength of 543.1 MPa, which are significantly improved from the previous reports. All about the fabrication process, characterization and evaluation of the cellulose nanofiber filaments are illustrated.