Rayon

For other uses, see Rayon (disambiguation).
When a solution of cellulose in cuprammonium hydroxide comes into contact with sulfuric acid, the cellulose begins to precipitate from the solution. The acid reacts with a complex compound of copper and dissolves it, and thin blue fibers of rayon are formed. After some time, the acid reacts with the complex compound and washes out the copper salts from the fibers, which become colorless.

Rayon, also called viscose[1] and commercialised in some countries as sabra silk or cactus silk,[2] is a semi-synthetic fiber,[3] made from natural sources of regenerated cellulose, such as wood and related agricultural products.[4] It has the same molecular structure as cellulose. Many types and grades of viscose fibers and films exist. Some imitate the feel and texture of natural fibers such as silk, wool, cotton, and linen. The types that resemble silk are often called artificial silk. It can be woven or knit to make textiles for clothing and other purposes.[5]

Rayon production involves solubilizing cellulose to allow turning the fibers into required form. Three common solubilization methods are:

  1. ^ "Viscose CV Introduction". www.swicofil.com.
  2. ^ "WEAVING A STORY → Franklin Till". www.franklintill.com. Archived from the original on 2023-09-28. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
  3. ^ Camille. "3 Basic Types of Fabric: Synthetic Fiber, Semi-Synthetic Fiber, & Natural Fiber Defined". Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  4. ^ Kauffman, George B. (1993). "Rayon: the first semi-synthetic fiber product". Journal of Chemical Education. 70 (11): 887. Bibcode:1993JChEd..70..887K. doi:10.1021/ed070p887.
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  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference scientificamerican.com was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Swan, Norman; Blanc, Paul (20 February 2017). "The health burden of viscose rayon". ABC Radio National.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference brief was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference thesis was invoked but never defined (see the help page).