Lu 1

Wenling Lu
Mrs. Sirat
Interior Design
June 3, 2012
Rayon
Rayon is a fiber made of cellulosic material, or plant fibers (Writer, How is Rayon
Made). It was first made to resemble silk, and use to be known as artificial silk (Writer,
How is Rayon Made). The process of making rayon turns wood, cotton and other
fibers into fabric that is frequently used for items of clothing, including shirts, pants,
skirts, dresses and outerwear (Writer, How is Rayon Made). Before rayon can be used
to make these items, it must go through a process of being transformed from plant fiber
to fabric (Writer, How is Rayon Made).
To make Rayon, plant fibers must be collected first (Writer, How is Rayon
Made). Such as pine, spruce and hemlock and other types of wood (Writer, How is
Rayon Made). After the materials are collected, it is treated with sodium hydroxide
(Writer, How is Rayon Made). Then the mixture is allowed a few days to dry (Writer,
How is Rayon Made). Liquid carbon disulfide is then added to the fibers and sodium
hydroxide (Writer, How is Rayon Made). The mixture creates a very thick liquid and is
allowed another few days to dry (Writer, How is Rayon Made). When the mixture is
dried and aged, it is fed through a machine to form strands and then coated with a
chemical to form a solid material (Writer, How is Rayon Made). These solidified
strands are then spun into yarn (Writer, How is Rayon Made). The yarn is then treated
and woven as desired (Writer, How is Rayon Made). Rayon is made in an abundance

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of countries, for example, America, Mexico, and Asia (Writer, How is Rayon Made).
The process in of making rayon is similar in almost every country (Writer, How is Rayon
Made).
Rayon is a fairly delicate fabric (Hand Washing Rayon). It can be machine
washed, but on low and only with other similar fabrics (Hand Washing Rayon). Its best
to hand wash Rayon (Hand Washing Rayon). When hand washing Rayon, it is most
appropriate to wash with cold water and detergent (Hand Washing Rayon). You should
never wring, twist, or bunch up Rayon (Hand Washing Rayon). It is best to shake it
out, then smooth out wrinkles with hand (Hand Washing Rayon).
Rayon can be used for many things, but is mostly used in clothing (What is
Rayon used for). For example, blouses, dresses, jackets, lingerie, linings, scarves,
suits, neckties, hats, socks, etc. (What is Rayon used for). It can also be used for the
filling in Zippo lighters, window treatments, upholstery, slipcovers and industrial uses
e.g. medical surgery products (What is Rayon used for). Manufactured Fabrics, such
as Rayon, are usually made of filaments extruded as liquid and formed into various
fibers (Weaves and Different Synthetic Fibers). Because the fiber starts as a liquid,
many of the fibers are colored before they become filament, thus they are difficult to dye
after the fiber is woven into a fabric (Weaves and Different Synthetic Fibers). Rayon
has many different uses and purposes (Weaves and Different Synthetic Fibers).

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Works Cited
Writer, Staff. How is Rayon Made. Sophisticated Edge. Sophisticated Media LLC. n.d.
3 June 2012
Washing Rayon Clothing and Fabric. Dharmatrading. Dhama Trading Co. n.d. 3 June
2012
What is Rayon used for. Ask. n.p. n.d. 3 June 2012