Data for Dissolution of Cotton by 1-Ethyl-3-Methylimidazolium Acetate Studied with Time-Temperature Superposition for Three Different Fibre Arrangements

This study has investigated the dissolution of cotton fibres in the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([C2mim][OAc]) for three fibre arrangements. Dissolution was carried out with excess [C2mim][OAc] at various temperatures and times followed by coagulation with water. Optical microscopy (OM) indicated that this procedure produced a coagulated fraction surrounding the original fibres. X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that the crystal structure of this coagulated fraction was predominantly cellulose II, as opposed to the original fibres that were mostly cellulose I. The OM and XRD results showed that growth of the coagulated fraction obeyed time-temperature superposition (TTS) and displayed an Arrhenius behaviour, allowing a dissolution activation energy to be determined. Although the growths of coagulated fraction with time were different for these distinct three arrangements, each could be individually shifted to form master curves using TTS, leading to very similar activation energies, 96 ± 3 kJ/mol.