Enabling continuous pilot-scale wet spinning of chitin multifilament yarns: spinneret effects and solvent removal control
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Chitin-based filament yarns have great potential for use in biomedical and technical textiles. However, their processing and applicability are severely limited by poor solubility and inefficient solvent removal, restricting scalable manufacturing. This study investigates the development and scale-up of a wet spinning process for chitin yarns using the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium propionate (EMIMOPr). Solvent removal during monofilament spinning was investigated using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis to examine its dependence on filament diameter, coagulation temperature, and residence time. The results demonstrated that solvent removal is governed by mass transport processes, with residual solvent potentially persisting in the filament core under laboratory-scale conditions. Based on these insights, multifilament spinning on a pilot scale was successfully implemented, enabling efficient solvent removal during coagulation and washing stages. The resulting yarns exhibited homogeneous morphology and consistent textile-mechanical properties. This process provides a promising platform for the large-scale production of chitin filament yarns for advanced biomedical and technical applications.
Institution: Technische Universität Dresden
Language: English
Subfield: Biomaterials
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7214784122
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