Novel Cellulose/SPI Blend bio-fibers Prepared via Direct Dissolving Approach

We have successfully prepared the biodegradable and biocompatible blend fibers from cellulose and soy protein isolate (SPI) in NaOH/thiourea/urea aqueous solvent by coagulating with 10 wt % H2SO4/12.5 wt %Na2SO4 aqueous solution. The rheological behavior and the spinnability of the prepared complex solution were analyzed by the rheometer in detail. The structure analysis of the prepared blend fibers indicated that there were strong interaction and good miscibility between cellulose and soy protein isolate. The values of tensile strength and elongation at break for the blend bio-fibers with 10 wt % of SPI reached 1.86 cN/dtex and 10.3%, respectively. It provides promising application in biomedical fields of cellulose/SPI blend fibers as the functional materials while keeping its mechanical characteristics. The morphology of the blend fibers reveals a certain level of phase segregation, that is, the blend fibers displays a smooth, fibrillar nature with homogeneous blends properties but some micro voids in cross-section. Biodegradable cellulose/SPI blend fibers with good mechanical properties and compatibility combine the beneficial characteristics of the individual components and may be useful for biomedical applications, especially for the tissue engineering scaffold.