Plasticizing effect of ionic liquid on cellulose acetate obtained by melt processing

• Feasibility of melt processing of cellulose acetate (CA) with an ionic liquid.
• BMIMCl interacts intensively with CA molecules by van der Waals interactions.
• BMIMCl suppresses the crystalline region of the CA materials.
• BMIMCl decreases the mechanical relaxation of the CA materials.
• BMIMCl induces the weakening of the interaction in the CA chains.

Cellulose acetate (CA) plasticized by 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BMIMCl) and with diethylphtalate (DEP) was obtained by melt processing at 150 °C. The effect and the interaction of ionic liquid with the cellulose acetate and their influence on structural, thermo-mechanical, rheological and tensile properties of CA materials were investigated.Ionic liquid (BMIMCl) has shown a good plasticization and more efficient destruction of the crystalline structure of cellulose acetate than the DEP plasticized CA. BMIMCl interacts intensively with CA molecules due to the pronounced van der Waals interactions, hydrogen bonding and electrostatic nature of ionic liquid. The tensile test and the low Young's modulus for plasticized CA suggest a strong reduction of the interaction between the CA chains due to the presence of the ionic liquid.