Fibre yarns from pulp dispersed in deep eutectic solvent dope

Recent trend in the field of bioeconomy has been an increased interest in renewable wood-based materials to be used in novel application areas. Ability to use native cellulose without dissolution in yarns would decrease the amount of processing needed and intrinsic properties of cellulose I could be utilized in a new way. In this study, a novel method for fibre yarn manufacturing from pulp fibres is presented. Deep eutectic solvent (DES) composed of choline chloride and urea is used as a swelling agent and rheological modifier in order to produce water-stable fibre yarns from wood pulps. Gel-like suspension is formed by applying heat and mixing, but no dissolution of cellulose occurs in the process. Polyacrylic acid has been used as an additive for enable heat initiated crosslinking and water stability. The fibre yarns produced are stable in water, porous and have relatively good mechanical properties. The materials used in the process are all recyclable and reusable. The process shows also great potential for up-scaled production. Fabrics, geo- and agrotextiles, composite reinforcements, disposable textiles, and all-cellulose multicomponent structures can be identified as potential applications for the fibre yarns