Patent ID: 8784686

Claim:
A process for dissolving a polymeric material, the process comprising contacting the polymeric material with an ionic liquid, the ionic liquid comprising an anion and a cation wherein the cation is a tertiary ammonium ion of the formula (I) N+HRR′R″ (I) wherein: R is an alkyl group substituted with one or more hydroxy groups; R′ and R″ are independently alkyl or substituted alkyl groups optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of a nitrogen-containing functional group, an alkoxy group, and a hydroxy group; the nitrogen-containing functional group selected from the group consisting of nitrile, nitro, and amino; the substituted alkyl optionally comprising one or more ether linkages; and the anion is selected from the group consisting of a nitrate, sulphate, phosphate, carbonate, sulphonate, and carboxylate.