Rayon is a manufactured regenerated cellulosic fiber. Cellulose is an Organic compound with the formula, a Polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to over ten thousand β(1→4 Fiber or fibre is a class of Materials that are continuous filaments or are in discrete elongated pieces similar to lengths of thread. Rayon is produced from naturally occurring polymers and therefore it is not a truly synthetic fiber, nor is it a natural fiber. A polymer is a large Molecule ( Macromolecule) composed of repeating Structural units typically connected by Covalent Chemical bonds Synthetic fibers are the result of extensive research by Scientists to improve upon naturally occurring Animal and plant Fibers or fibres (see spelling differences) is a class of hair-like Materials that are continuous filaments or are in discrete elongated pieces similar It is known by the names viscose rayon and art silk in the textile industry. Viscose is a Viscous organic liquid used to make Rayon and Cellophane. Artificial silk or (as the term is used in the Textile industry Art silk is a synthetic manufactured Fiber which resembles Silk but A textile is a flexible material comprised of a network of natural or artificial Fibres often referred to as thread or Yarn.

Cellulose is treated with alkali and carbon disulfide to yield viscose. Cellulose is an Organic compound with the formula, a Polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to over ten thousand β(1→4 In Chemistry, an alkali (from Arabic: Al-Qaly القلي القالي) is a basic, ionic salt of an Alkali metal Viscose is a Viscous organic liquid used to make Rayon and Cellophane.

History

Nitrocellulose

The fact that nitrocellulose is soluble in organic solvents such as ether and acetone, made it possible for Georges Audemars to develop the first "artificial silk" about 1855, but his method was impractical for commercial use. Nitrocellulose (also cellulose nitrate, flash paper) is a highly flammable compound formed by Nitrating Cellulose through exposure to A solvent is a liquid or gas that dissolves a solid liquid or gaseous Solute, resulting in a Solution. Ether is a class of Organic compounds which contain an ether group — an Oxygen Atom connected to two (substituted Alkyl Acetone (also known as propanone, dimethyl ketone, 2-propanone, propan-2-one and β-ketopropane) is a colorless mobile flammable Artificial silk or (as the term is used in the Textile industry Art silk is a synthetic manufactured Fiber which resembles Silk but Year 1855 ( MDCCCLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year Hilaire de Charbonnet, Comte de Chardonnay, patented "Chardonnay silk" in 1884. Year 1884 ( MDCCCLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year The commercial production started 1891, but it was flammable, and more expensive than acetate or cuprammonium rayon. Flammability is the ease with which a substance will ignite causing Fire or Combustion. Tetramminecopper(II sulfate, formula SO4 is an ionic compound containing the complex ion 2+ Because of this, production was stopped before World War I, for example 1912 in Germany. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe.

Acetate method

Paul Schützenberger discovered that cellulose can be reacted with acetic acid anhydride to form cellulose acetate. Paul Schützenberger (23 December 1829 - 26 June 1897 French Chemist, was born at Strasbourg, where his father Georges Frédéric Schützenberger (1779-1859 Acetic anhydride is the Chemical compound with the formula (CH3CO2O Cellulose acetate, first prepared in 1865 is the Acetate Ester of Cellulose. The triacetate is only soluble in chloroform making the method expensive. Cellulose triacetate, also known simply as triacetate, is manufactured from Cellulose and Acetate. Chloroform, also known as trichloromethane and methyl trichloride, is a Chemical compound with formula C[[Hydrogen H]] Cl The discovery that hydrolyzed cellulose acetate is soluble in less polar solvents, like acetone, made production of cellulose acetate fibers cheap and efficient. Acetone (also known as propanone, dimethyl ketone, 2-propanone, propan-2-one and β-ketopropane) is a colorless mobile flammable

Cuprammonium method

The German chemist Eduard Schweizer discovered that tetraamminecopper dihydroxide could dissolve cellulose. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. A chemist is a Scientist trained in the Science of Chemistry. Eduard Schweizer (1913-2006 was a Swiss New Testament scholar who taught at the University of Zurich for an extended period Schweizer's reagent is the common name for the complex tetra-aminecopper dihydroxide [OH]2 Max Fremery and Johann Urban developed a method to produce carbon fibers for use in light bulbs in 1892. The incandescent light bulb, incandescent lamp or incandescent light globe is a source of electric Light that works by Incandescence, (a general Production of rayon for textiles started in 1899 in the Vereinigte Glanzstofffabriken AG in Oberbruch. A textile is a flexible material comprised of a network of natural or artificial Fibres often referred to as thread or Yarn. Year 1899 ( MDCCCXCIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Improvement by the J. P. Bemberg AG in 1901 made the artificial silk a product comparable to real silk. Year 1901 ( MCMI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Silk is a natural Protein Fiber, some forms of which can be woven into Textiles The best-known type of silk is obtained from cocoons

Viscose method

Finally, in 1894, Charles Frederick Cross, Edward John Bevan, and Clayton Beadle patented their artificial silk, which they named "viscose", because the reaction product of carbon disulfide and cellulose in basic conditions gave a highly viscous solution of xanthate. Year 1894 ( MDCCCXCIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Charles Frederick Cross ( December 11, 1855 – April 15, 1935) was British Chemist. Edward John Bevan ( December 11, 1856 – October 17, 1921) was an English chemist Viscose is a Viscous organic liquid used to make Rayon and Cellophane. Cellulose is an Organic compound with the formula, a Polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to over ten thousand β(1→4 Xanthates are the Salts and Esters of a xanthic acid ROC(=SSH or O-esters of dithiocarbonic acid where R is any organic residue Avtex Fibers Incorporated began selling their formulation in 1910 in the United States. Year 1910 ( MCMX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting The name "rayon" was adopted in 1924, with "viscose" being used for the viscous organic liquid used to make both rayon and cellophane. Year 1924 ( MCMXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Cellophane is a thin transparent sheet made of regenerated Cellulose. In Europe, though, the fabric itself became known as "viscose," which has been ruled an acceptable alternative term for rayon by the U. S. Federal Trade Commission. The Federal Trade Commission ( FTC) is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act The method is able to use wood (cellulose and lignin) as a source of cellulose while the other methods need lignin-free cellulose as starting material. Wood is hard fibrous lignified structural tissue produced as secondary Xylem in the stems of Woody plants notably trees but also shrubs Lignin or lignen is a complex Chemical compound most commonly derived from Wood and an integral part of the secondary Cell walls of Plants This makes it cheaper and therefore it was used on a larger scale than the other methods.

Contamination of the waste water by carbon disulfide, lignin and the xanthates made this process detrimental to the environment. Xanthates are the Salts and Esters of a xanthic acid ROC(=SSH or O-esters of dithiocarbonic acid where R is any organic residue See also Nature The natural environment, commonly referred to simply as the environment, is a terminology that is comprised of all living and Rayon was only produced as a filament fiber until the 1930s when it was discovered that broken waste rayon could be used in staple fiber. The 1930s were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression. Staple is a term referring to naturally formed clusters or locks of Wool fibres throughout a fleece that are held together by cross fibres

The physical properties of rayon were unchanged until the development of high-tenacity rayon in the 1940s. The 1940s decade ran from 1940 to 1949 Events and trends The 1940s was a period between the radical 1930s and the conservative 1950s which also leads the period to be Further research and development led to the creation of high-wet-modulus rayon (HWM rayon) in the 1950s ^[1].

Major fiber properties

Rayon is a very versatile fiber and has the same comfort properties as natural fibers. It can imitate the feel and texture of silk, wool, cotton and linen. Silk is a natural Protein Fiber, some forms of which can be woven into Textiles The best-known type of silk is obtained from cocoons Wool is the fiber derived from the specialized skin cells called follicles of animals in the Caprinae family principally sheep, but the hair of certain species Cotton is a soft staple Fibre that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant ( Gossypium sp Linen is a Textile made from the Fibers of the Flax plant Linum usitatissimum. The fibers are easily dyed in a wide range of colors. Dyeing is the process of imparting Colours to a textile material in loose fibre Yarn, Cloth or garment form by treatment with a Dye. Rayon fabrics are soft, smooth, cool, comfortable, and highly absorbent, but they do not insulate body heat, making them ideal for use in hot and humid climates ^[2].

The durability and appearance retention of regular rayon are low, especially when wet; also, rayon has the lowest elastic recovery of any fiber. However, HWM rayon is much stronger and exhibits higher durability and appearance retention. Recommended care for regular rayon is dry-cleaning only; HWM rayon can also be machine washed ^[1].

Gallery of textures

A sample of rayon from a skirt, photographed with a macro lens. Macro photography is close-up Photography; the classical definition is that the Image projected on the "film plane" (i

Another skirt with a different texture.

A blouse with a texture similar to the second.

Physical structure of rayon

Regular rayon has lengthwise lines called striations and its cross-section is an indented circular shape. Striations means a series of Ridges, furrows or Linear marks and are used in several ways Glacial striation Striation (geology The cross-sections of HWM and cupra rayon are rounder. Filament rayon yarns vary from 80 to 980 filaments per yarn and vary in size from 40 to 5000 denier. This article is about the fiber product For the type of joke see Shaggy dog story. Staple fibers range from 1. 5 to 15 denier and are mechanically or chemically crimped. Rayon fibers are naturally very bright, but the addition of delustering pigments cuts down on this natural brightness ^[1]. For the drug referred to as "pigment" see Black tar heroin.

Production method

Regular rayon (or viscose) is the most widely produced form of rayon. This method of rayon production has been utilized since the early 1900s and it has the ability to produce either filament or staple fibers. The process is as follows:

1. Cellulose: Production begins with processed cellulose
2. Immersion: The cellulose is dissolved in caustic soda
3. Pressing: The solution is then pressed between rollers to remove excess liquid
4. White Crumb: The pressed sheets are crumbled or shredded to produce what is known as "white crumb"
5. Aging: The "white crumb" aged through exposure to oxygen
6. Xanthation: The aged "white crumb" is mixed with carbon disulfide in a process known as Xanthation, the aged alkali cellulose crumbs are placed in vats and are allowed to react with carbon disulphide under controlled temperature (20 to 30°C) to form cellulose xanthate. Sodium hydroxide ( Na[[hydroxide OH]]) also known as Lye, caustic soda and (incorrectly according to IUPAC nomenclature Oxygen (from the Greek roots ὀξύς (oxys (acid literally "sharp" from the taste of acids and -γενής (-genēs (producer literally begetteris the (C6H9O4ONa)n + nCS2 ----> (C6H9O4O-SC-SNa)n
7. Yellow Crumb: Xanthation changes the chemical makeup of the cellulose mixture and the resulting product is now called "yellow crumb"
8. Viscose: The "yellow crumb" is dissolved in a caustic solution to form viscose
9. Ripening: The viscose is set to stand for a period of time, allowing it to ripen
10. Filtering: After ripening, the viscose is filtered to remove any undissolved particles
11. Degassing: Any bubbles of air are pressed from the viscose in a degassing process
12. Extruding: The viscose solution is extruded through a spinneret, which resembles a shower head with many small holes
13. Acid Bath: As the viscose exits the spinneret, it lands in a bath of sulfuric acid resulting in the formation of rayon filaments
14. Drawing: The rayon filaments are stretched, known as drawing, to straighten out the fibers
15. Washing: The fibers are then washed to remove any residual chemicals
16. Cutting: If filament fibers are desired the process ends here. A spinneret is a spider's silk -spinning organ. It is usually on the underside of a spider's Abdomen, to the rear Sulfuric (or sulphuric acid, H 2 S[[oxygen O]]4 is a strong Mineral acid. The filaments are cut down when producing staple fibers ^[3]

High Wet Modulus rayon (HWM) is a modified version of viscose that has a greater strength when wet. It also has the ability to be mercerized like cotton. Mercerization is a treatment for Cotton fabric and thread that gives fabric a lustrous appearance HWM rayons are also known as "polynosic" or can be identified by the trade name Modal ^[4]. Modal is a bio-based Fiber made by spinning reconstituted Cellulose from Beech trees

High Tenacity rayon is another modified version of viscose that has almost twice the strength of HWM. This type of rayon is typically used for industrial purposes such as tire cord ^[4].

Cupramonium rayon has properties similar to viscose but during production, the cellulose is combined with copper and ammonia (Schweizer's reagent). Copper (ˈkɒpɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol Cu (cuprum and Atomic number 29 Ammonia is a compound with the formula N[[hydrogen H3]] It is normally encountered as a Gas with a characteristic pungent Odor Schweizer's reagent is the common name for the complex tetra-aminecopper dihydroxide [OH]2 Due to the environmental effects of this production method, cupramonium rayon is no longer produced in the United States ^[4]. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

Producers

Trade names are used within the rayon industry to determine the type of rayon used. A trade name, also known as a trading name or a business name, is the name which a Business trades under for commercial purposes although its registered

Bemberg, for example, is a trade name for cupramonium rayon developed by J. P. Bemberg that is now only produced in Italy due to EPA regulations in the US ^[5]. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest

Modal and Tencel are widely used forms of rayon produced by Lenzing Fibers Corp. Modal is a bio-based Fiber made by spinning reconstituted Cellulose from Beech trees Lyocell is a fiber made from Wood pulp Cellulose. It was first manufactured in 1987 by Courtaulds Fibres UK at their pilot plant S25 which is based in northern Austria ^[6]. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich

Galaxy, Danufil, and Viloft are rayon brands produced by Kelheim Fibres, a German manufacturer. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. ^[7]

Acordis is a major manufacturer of cellulose based fibers and yarns. Production facilities can be found throughout Europe, the U. S. and Brazil ^[8]. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld

Visil rayon is a flame retardant form of viscose which has silica embedded in the fiber during manufacturing. Flame retardants are materials that inhibit or resist the spread of Fire. The Chemical compound silicon dioxide, also known as silica or silox (from the Latin " Silex " is an Oxide ^[9].

North American Rayon Corp of Tennessee produced viscose rayon until its closure in the year 2000. Tennessee ( is a state located in the Southern United States. ^[10].

Grasim of India is the largest producer of rayon in the world (claiming 24% market share). Grasim Industries Limited is a Aditya Birla Group company that started in 1948 and which started as a Textile manufacturer India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country It has plants in Nagda, Kharach and Harihar - all in India. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Nagda ( Hindi: नागदा is a city and a Municipality in Ujjain district Kharach is a god from the fictional world of the Fools and Heroes LARP system Harihar is a small town in central Karnataka, located in Davanagere District. ^[11].

Uses of rayon

Some major rayon fiber uses include apparel (e. Clothing (also called clothes, accoutrements, accouterments, or habiliments) protects the Human body from extreme Weather g. blouses, dresses, jackets, lingerie, linings, scarves, suits, ties), furnishings (e. g. bedspreads, blankets, window treatments, upholstery, slipcovers), industrial uses (e. g. medical surgery products, non-woven products, tire cord), and other uses (e. g. yarn, feminine hygiene products) ^[3].

See also

• Art silk (artificial silk)

• Modal (textile)

References

• History of Viscose Rayon and Artificial Silk
• Cellulose Based Plastics: Celluloid and Rayon