Research

Ioncell® is first and foremost a research project. Our researchers from Aalto University and the University of Helsinki have been developing the Ioncell technology for nearly ten years. We are always open for new research proposals and collaborations so don't hesitate to tell us about your idea!

Process

The Ioncell® process utilizes a solvent called ionic liquid to dissolve cellulose. In the dissolved state, cellulose can be transformed into beautiful, strong fibers using the dry-jet wet spinning technology. The only chemicals applied are the non-toxic ionic liquid and water. They are both re-circulated in the process in a closed loop.

Fibers

Ioncell® fibers feel soft and are strong even when wet. The fiber properties of Ioncell are equal or better than viscose and Tencel™ fibers. Because of their high tenacity, Ioncell® fibers are optimal in technical applications such as composites.

Ioncell® fiber properties

Moisture absorbing
Biodegradable
Bright lustre
Can be dyed like cotton and viscose

Ioncell® in numbers

38

peer-reviewed
research articles

430

number of citations
(approximately)

15+

Ioncell™-made
demo products

4+6

on-going +
finished PhD theses

Interested in making these numbers bigger?
Get in touch!

Professor Herbert Sixta
Lead researcher
Aalto University
herbert.sixta@aalto.fi
+358 50 384 1764

Projects within Ioncell®

Recycling

Finix

Trash-2-Cash

Technology

SolvRec

What: Development of the Ioncell technology

Duration: 2017–2019

Funding: Business Finland (Tekes) + companies Stora Enso, Metsä Fibre, Andritz and Marimekko

Description: The main requirement for the scale-up of the Ioncell technology is to create a closed-loop process where the solvent is recovered and reused. So far there are no available technologies for recycling ionic liquids since they are a new group of solvents – and this is what the SolvRec project is trying to solve. The consortium consists of Aalto University, the University of Helsinki (UH) and the Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT).

Contact person: Herbert Sixta

iCom

What: Commercialization of Ioncell

Duration: 2017–2019

Funding: Business Finland (Tekes) - TUTL

Description: iCom stands for Ioncell Commercialization. The objective of iCom is to develop and create a commercialization strategy for Ioncell as well as focus on the technical development towards the scale-up of the technology. To learn more, please see Ioncell's Commercialization page.

Contact person: Jari Laine

TeKiDe

What: Ioncell pilot

Duration: 2017–2018

Funding:ERDF / EAKR

Description: Piloting is a crucial step in taking a new technology towards industrial scale manufacturing. Aalto University and VTT are focusing on the piloting of Finnish textile fiber technologies (carbamate, BioCelSol and Ioncell) in their joint TeKiDe project. VTT will perform pilot runs at Bioruukki piloting centre in Espoo. Within the project Aalto University prepares for the scale-up of the Ioncell-F process.

Contact person: Sanna Hellstén

Products

WTF-Click-Nano

What: Tailoring of fiber properties

Duration: 2017–2021

Funding: Academy of Finland

Description: The project aims at the development of sustainable methods for fibre surface modification. This includes nanocelluloses but also on regenerated cellulose fibres or pulp itself. Novel low-cost click modification approaches will be tested for addition of surface functionality and fibre cross-linking to allow for more control over the physiochemical and mechanical properties of the fibres or other regenerated celluloses. There is a strong emphasis on development of novel ionic liquid-based modification routes but also ionic liquid-based liquid-state analytics, i.e. NMR based, that are lacking for analysis of poorly-soluble (crystalline) celluloses.

Contact person: Alistair King

Team: Herbert Sixta (Aalto), Kaniz Moriam Most (Aalto), Alistair King (UH), Tetyana Koso (UH), Jesus Perea-Buceta (UH)

WoCaFi

What: New applications (carbon fibres)

Duration: 2017–2022

Funding: ERC-Starting Grant

Description: Carbon fibers and composites are extremely strong and lightweight materials. They have many applications in for example replacing heavy structural parts in airplanes or spacecrafts. So far the high price of carbon fibers has prevented a more wide-spread use. This project aims at producing fully bio-based carbon fibers from wood-derived biopolymers in order to replace the expensive synthetic polymer PAN (polyacrylonitrile). High performance composite fibers comprising cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin are spun through the Ioncell-F technology to yield endless filaments of the highest uniformity and pronounced lateral polymer orientation in the fiber matrix. The filaments are converted to carbon fibers in collaboration with Deakin University and Carbon Nexus research facility in Australia. The pyrolysis reactions and structure transformation of the precursor filaments are studied with for example STA-FTIR/MS, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray scattering techniques to elucidate the carbonization and graphitization mechanisms of a multi-component polymer matrix.

Contact person: Michael Hummel

Team: Michael Hummel (PI), Daisuke Sawada (postdoctoral researcher), Mikaela Trogen (PhD candidate), Hilda Zahra (PhD candidate).

Publications

Ma, Y., Hummel, M.; Kontro, I.; Sixta, H. (2017): High performance man-made cellulosic fibres from recycled newsprints. Green Chem. 20, 160–169. Read the publication
Asaadi, S.; Hummel, M.; Hellsten, S.; Härkäsalmi, T.; Ma, Y.; Michud, A.; Sixta, H. (2016): Renewable High-Performance Fibers from the Chemical Recycling of Cotton Waste Utilizing an Ionic Liquid. ChemSusChem 9(22): 3250–3258. Read the publication
Michud, A.; Tanttu, M.; Asaadi, S.; Ma, Y.; Netti, E.; Kääriäinen, P.; Persson, A.; Berntsson, A.; Hummel, M.; Sixta, H. (2016): Ioncell-F: ionic liquid-based cellulosic textile fibers as an alternative to viscose and Lyocell. Textile Research Journal 86 (5): 543-552. Read the publication

Show all publications

Book chapters

Evangelos Sklavounos, Jussi K.J. Helminen, Lasse Kyllönen, Ilkka Kilpeläinen & Alistair W.T. King: Ionic Liquids: Recycling. Encyclopedia of Inorganic and Bioinorganic Chemistry. Online © 2011–2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Read the chapter

Doctoral theses

Shirin Asaadi (2019): Dry-Jet Wet Spinning of Technical and Textile Filament Fibers from a Solution of Wood Pulp and Waste Cotton in an Ionic Liquid. Read the doctoral thesis
Yibo Ma (2018): Fibre spinning from various low refined, recycled lignocelluloses using ionic liquid. Read the doctoral thesis
Alexandr Ostonen (2017): Thermodynamic study of protic ionic liquids. Read the doctoral thesis
Lauri K. J. Hauru (2017): Lignocellulose solutions in ionic liquids. Read the doctoral thesis
Ashley Holding (2016): Ionic Liquids and Electrolytes for Cellulose Dissolution. Read the doctoral thesis
Anne Michud (2016): Development of a novel process for the production of man-made cellulosic fibers from ionic liquid solution. Read the doctoral thesis
Arno Parviainen (2016): Acid-Base Conjugate Ionic Liquids in Lignocellulose Processing: Synthesis, Properties and Applications. Read the doctoral thesis

Ioncell® turns wood into garments and clothes

Ioncell® is part of Aalto University's campaign that brings prominent research projects into the limelight. Could Ioncell® be the savior of the current textile industry? Take a look!

Ioncell® team and collaborators

Aalto CHEM, Biorefineries research group, Prof. Herbert Sixta
University of Helsinki, Materials Chemistry, Organic Chemistry research group, Prof. Ilkka Kilpeläinen and Dr. Alistair King
Aalto ARTS, the Fashion/Textile Futures research group, Prof. Kirsi Niinimäki
Aalto CHEM, Chemical Engineering research group, Prof. Ville Alopaeus
Aalto CHEM, Plant Design, Prof. Pekka Oinas
Swedish School of Textiles at the University of Borås
Tampere University of Technology

Contact Us

Business inquiries

Jari Laine
Aalto University
jari.laine@aalto.fi
+358 50 5677 226

Research proposals