Viscoelasticity and rheology in the regimes from dilute to concentrated in cellulose 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate solutions

Dynamic rheological behaviors of α-cellulose 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([Emim]Ac) solutions were investigated in a large range of concentrations (0.1–10 wt %) at 25 °C. On the basis of data from the dynamic viscoelastic test, the exponents of the specific viscosity η _sp versus concentration c were determined as 1.0, 2.0 and 4.7 for dilute, semidilute unentangled and entangled regimes respectively, which were in accordance with the scaling prediction for neutral polymer in θ solvent. The intrinsic viscosity [η] of the solution was determined to be 253 mL/g at 25 °C. The linear viscoelastic response of the dilute and semidilute unentangled solutions could be described successfully by the Zimm and Rouse model (ν = 0.5 for θ solution) respectively, suggesting that the motion of cellulose chain in [Emim]Ac changed from Zimm to Rouse model with increasing concentration. At low concentrations, failure of the Cox–Merz rule with steady shear viscosity larger than complex viscosity was observed. While as the concentration increased, the deviation from the Cox–Merz rule disappeared due to the formation of homogeneous entanglement structure in cellulose solution.