RAYON FIBRE

INTRODUCTION
Rayon is the man made fibres, which have a cellulosic base. During its development, it
has been designated by various names, such as artificial silk, wood silk, fibre silk and art
silk. The implication in these names is that, it was originally intended to be a substitute
for silk.
CLASSIFICATION OF RAYON
1. Viscose Rayon
2. Acetate Rayon
3. Cuprammonium Rayon
The raw material or the source from which the raw material can be extracted is cellulose
or cellulose base. The regeneration of the fibre is a chemical process. In general, cellulose
source, after the required pretreatment is dissolved in a proper reagent and the solution is
forced through spinnerets and coagulated in a bath, depending upon the solvent.
Cellulose occurs in many particles. The substances used for cellulosic material may be
(1) Wood (2) Seed hair (3) Bast (4) Leaf (5) Grasses (6) Straws (7) Espatograss (7)
Bamboo etc.
Wood is the most widely used of all the cellulosic materials. It is found all over the
world. The composition of wood is
Cellulose
40-50 %
Lignin
20- 30 %
Hemicelluloses
10-30 %
Except these three main components polysaccharides are also present in wood. By
removing lignin, hemicelluloses etc, and cellulose can free as a raw material.
The seed hairs like cotton contain cellulose with very less non- cellulosic substances.
This makes purification simpler than for most cellulosic material. The best fibres are long
fibres of the inner bark of various plants. They include flax, hemp, and ramie. They
contain approximately 70-85 %.
Further, cellulose is the major constituent of the cell wall of plant life. So those plants
which have no industrial utilization, as well as the residual wastes from utilized plants
from a huge potential source of cellulose. The most important of these wastes belong to
the grass family like cereal straw, wheat straw and espatograss ( Alfa fibre). The husks of
coconut, betel nut and other palms can be used as cellulosic source. The crushed stalks of
sugar cane after the juice, can also be used for rayon. Other products may be grain and
seed hulls, soybean stems, fruit pits which can serve as a cellulose source.
MANUFACTURING OF RAYON
Viscose rayon is a regenerated cellulosic fibre and cellulose is the raw material for
producing this man made fibre. The raw material is obtained from special variety of
wood (spruce). In addition to cellulose, wood also contains substances like lignin and

other impurities. The first step in the manufacture of Viscose rayon consists of
purification of cellulose from wood. After purification, cellulose is treated with caustic
soda solution to convert it into soda cellulose, which is subsequently treated with carbon
disulphide to produce sodium cellulose xanthate. This is then dissolved in a dilute caustic
soda solution. This solution is forced through a spinning unit and brought into contact
with an acid solution, cellulose is reprecipitated in the form of fine filaments called
Viscose Rayon.
PURIFICATION OF CELLULOSE
The cut pieces of a spruce trees are treated with solution of calcium bisulphate and
cooked with steam under pressure for 14 hours. The cellulose component of wood is
unaffected. The cementing material lignin is converted into a compound that is soluble
in water. By treating with excess of water cellulose can be separated. Then it is treated
with bleaching agent (sodium hypochlorite) and finally converted into pulp sheets.
CONDITIONING OF WOOD
The wood pulp sheets contain 90-94% pure cellulose. They are cut to the required
dimension and are conditioned at a definite temperature and humidity in a special room.
The sheet absorbs a definite amount of moisture from the air.
STEEPING
The conditioned pulp sheets are placed in a steeping tank which is provided with a series
of moveable, perforated steel plates. Caustic soda solution (17.5 %) is added into the
tank. The sheets are allowed to soak until they become dark brown in colour. This takes
from 1-4 hours at 17C. The cellulose is converted into sodacellulose and hemicellulose
dissolves in the caustic soda solution. The sheets are then pressed by the movable plates
to squeeze the excess caustic soda liquor.
SHREDDING
The soda cellulose is then transferred to a shredding machine. The machine consist of a
drum, inside which a pair of blades with serrated edges revolve at a high speed. When
they rotate the pulp sheet are cut into small bits. The temperature during shredding is
controlled by passing water into the jacket of the machine. In 2-3 hours the pulp sheets
are broken into fine pieces called crumbs.
AGEING
The crumbs stored in small galvanized steel drums for about 72 hours at 22C. During
this ageing process the Degree of Polymerisation of sodacellulose is decreased from
1000 to about 300 by oxygen present in the air (depolymerisation). Rapid ageing can be
carried out at a higher temperature with the help of temperature control device.

CHURNING
This process is also called Xanthation. After ageing the crumbs are transferred to
rotating, air tight, hexagonal drum. About 10 % of their own (crumbs) weight of carbon
disulphide is added. The drum is rotated at a speed of 2 revolution per minute for 3 hours.
Sodium cellulose xanthate is formed during this process. The colour of the product
changes from white to light yellow, to deep yellow and then to reddish orange. The
drums are double jacketed to control the temperature during Xanthation.
DISSOLVING
This sodium cellulose xanthate in the form of small balls fall into a mixer called
dissolver, which is provided with a stirrer. A dilute solution of caustic soda is added and
the contents are stirred for 4-5 hours. At the same time the dissolver is cooled. The
sodium cellulose xanthate dissolves to give a clear brown, thick viscose liquor called
viscose.
BLENDING, FILTERATION AND DEAERATION
The viscose solution is mixed or blended in a big mixer, in which solutions from 8 small
dissolvers are pumped. The blending is done to balance any irregularities present in
different batches of viscose solution and to get uniform quality of the final product. All
these solutions are mixed and stirred in the big mixer.
The solution is then filtered to remove some undissolved cellulose and dirt. Removal of
air from the solutions is then carried out (Deaeration) in air- tight vessels by applying
vaccum.
RIPENING
Ripening is carried out by storing the viscose solution for 2-5 days at 10-18C. During
this period viscosity (a measure of thickness of solution) decrease and then rises to the
original value and remain constant. Ripening is done to give a solution having the best
spinning qualities.
The ripened solution is again filtered carefully to remove any foreign matter and
deaerated. The solution is now ready for spinning. Pigments can be added to produce
dyed fibres delustering agents TiO2 is added for controlling the lustre and other
chemicals for special yarns.
SPINNING
For the production of Viscose filaments, the viscose solution is forced under pressure by
a gear pump first through the filter (to remove fine impurities) and then through the very
fine orfies in the spinnerette. The spinnerettes have many fine holes (0.05mm diameter).
They are immersed in a solution containing the following chemicals.
Sulphuric acid
10 %
Sodium sulphate
18 %

Glucose
2%
Zinc sulphate
1%
Water
69 %
The viscose filaments emerging from the orifices of spinnerette are coagulated
immediately and cellulose is regenerated.
FUNCTION OF THE CHEMICALS
The sodium sulphate precipitates the sodium cellulose xanthate from the viscose solution
into filaments and sulphuric acid converts into cellulose, the glucose gives pliability and
softness to the filaments. Zinc sulphate is responsible for added strength and serrated
cross section.
The fine viscose filaments from each spinneret are combined into a main thread. They are
first guided round bottom and then top godet wheels. The top godet wheel runs at a faster
rate than the bottom in order to give the desired stretch. The stretching of the filaments is
done in order to orient the molecules of cellulose along the direction of the fibre.
POT SPINNING WITH TOPHAM BOX
The viscose filaments after being stretched between godet wheels is taken by a topham
box through a glass funnel. The filaments are twisted and build up in the form of cakes
inside the topham box. The topham box is a plastic vessel, cylindrical and slightly tapered
in shape, about 18cm. in diameter and rotates at about 7000 to 12000 rpm. A traversing
mechanism is provided to build a precise cake inside the box. The cakes are removed
from the box after a doff is full and are collected for further purification and processing.
Purification consists of four operations namely 1) Washing 2) Desulphurising 3)
Bleaching and 4) Washing . The cakes are first washed with water using a cake washing
machine to remove the chemicals. They are washed with sodium sulphide solution at 6263C to free the filaments from the residual sulphur (desulphurising). At this stage the
filaments are bleached with a dilute solution of sodium hypochlorite and then treated with
dilute hydrochloric acid and washed thoroughly to remove the acid and finally dried.
PRODUCTION OF VISCOSE STAPLE FIBRE
The staple fibre of viscose is manufactured by cutting the rayon filaments into prescribed
length. The staple length ranges from 25mm to 75mm. The staple fibre may be spun into
yarn on cotton fibre spinning system or it may be blended with fibres like cotton, wool,
terelyne and then spun into yarn. For producing viscose staple fibre large sized
spinnerets (with large number of orifices about 3000) and godet wheels are used. The
filaments from a number of spinnerettes are combined together to get a rope like viscose
called Tow.
The tow, after stretching is crimped and then passed through the revolving blades of a
cutter. The cutter blades cut viscose. The cut staple fibre is then washed, given necessary
chemical treatments for desulphurising, bleaching, lubricating etc. It is finally dried and
then baled.

USES
Viscose rayon is a cheaper man made fibre and has wide range of application like cotton.
1. It is used practically in all types of apparel fabric as alone or in blends. Ladies dress
material such as georgettes, chiffons, satins, crepes, velvets etc. are commonly made
from viscose rayon filament yarn.
2. Home furnishings such as Curtains, Bedspreads, Cushions quilt covers, Table cloth and
Upholstery material are also made from Viscose filaments.
3. Viscose filament is also used in knitted fabrics to some extent.
4. Viscose rayon staples, after blending with natural and synthetic staple fibres, is used
for the production of apparel fabrics.
5. Viscose staple is widely used in the production of nonwoven fabrics such as surgical,
cosmetic and baby care products, hospital gowns, bed spread, sanitary napkins, pillow
cases, mattress cover etc.
RAYON MANUFACTURERS IN INDIA
FILAMENT:
1. The Travancore Rayons- Kerala.
2. National Rayon Corporation Ltd.- Maharastra
3. Century Rayon- Maharastra
4. Kesaram Rayon- West Bengal
5. South India Viscose- Tamil Nadu
6. Baroda Rayon- Gujrat
7. Indian Rayon Industries- Gujrat
STAPLE FIBRE:
1. Grasim Industries- M.P, Kerala, Karnataka.
2. South India Viscose- Tamil Nadu.
TYRE CORD:
1. Century Rayon- Maharastra
2. Sri Ram Rayon- Rajasthan
POLYNOSIC RAYON
The polynosic fibres are a new kind of viscose rayon, in their manufacture steps are taken
to maintain a higher Degree of Polymerisation by reducing the severity of chemical
processing so that a value of 500-700 is retained, and also to obtain a microfibrillar
structure by precipitating the viscose gently or slowly, in particular by carrying out the
stretching before the xanthate has been reconverted to cellulose. The fibres so made are
much more like cotton, the degree of their disadvantage has been very greatly reduced,
whilst they still retain their advantages of uniformity of size, length, luster and potential
cheapness. Wet strength in polynosic rayon is higher than of normal viscose rayon.
MANUFACTURE OF POLYNOSIC RAYON

Polynosic fibres are manufactured similar to viscose rayon. The main difference between
the manufacturing are as follows:
1. Ageing of all alkali cellulose is eliminated.
2. The cellulose xanthate is dissolved in water instead of in ( 3 percent ) dilute alkali.
3. Ripening of the cellulose xanthate solution is eliminated.
4. The spinning bath consist of acid only a very low concentration and little or sometimes
no salt.
A comparison is shown below the stages for manufacturing ordinary viscose rayon and
polynosic rayon.
PROPERTIES OF POLYNOSIC RAYON
Strength is higher, elongation at break lower, the ratio of wet strength to dry strength is
much higher , there is less swelling in water, the D.P is higher and there is microfibrillar
structure in the polynosic that is never found in normal viscose rayon.
The greater wet strength possessed by the polynosic fibres, their lower degree of swelling
in water and their resistance to caustic soda make it possible to wet process fabrics made
from these fibres by methods that are used for cotton fabrics.
High wet strength and toughness open up the use of the continuous process for the new
fabrics, and their alkali resistance makes possible either mercerizing or vat dyeing.