%0 Journal Article
%T Upcycling of cellulosic textile waste with bacterial cellulose via Ioncell® technology.
%A A G S Silva F
%A Schlapp-Hackl I
%A Nygren N
%A Heimala S
%A Leinonen A
%A Dourado F
%A Gama M
%A Hummel M
%J Int J Biol Macromol
%V 271
%N 0
%D 2024 Jun 11
%M 38821791
%F 8.025
%R 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.132194
%X Currently the textile industry relies strongly on synthetic fibres and cotton, which contribute to many environmental problems. Man-made cellulosic fibres (MMCF) can offer sustainable alternatives. Herein, the development of Lyocell-type MMCF using bacterial cellulose (BC) as alternative raw material in the Ioncell® spinning process was investigated. BC, known for its high degree of polymerization (DP), crystallinity and strength was successfully dissolved in the ionic liquid (IL) 1,5-diazabicyclo[4.3.0]non-5-enium acetate [DBNH][OAc] to produce solutions with excellent spinnability. BC staple fibres displayed good mechanical properties and crystallinity (CI) and were spun into a yarn which was knitted into garments, demonstrating the potential of BC as suitable cellulose source for textile production. BC is also a valuable additive when recycling waste cellulose textiles (viscose fibres). The high DP and Cl of BC enhanced the spinnability in a viscose/BC blend, consequently improving the mechanical performance of the resulting fibres, as compared to neat viscose fibres.