Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Rayon History, Advances Told

Rayon may be the most misunderstood of all fibers. It is not a natural fiber, yet it is not synthetic. It is formed by regenerating natural materials.

Adding to the confusion, different rayon fabrics may require totally different methods of care due to differences in manufacture or finishing.

Rayon was the first man-made fiber, created in 1891. A Frenchman named Hilaire de Chardonnet made "artificial silk" using liquefied wood pulp from mulberry trees, the food of silk worms.

Much weaker when wet, rayon should not be used for swimwear, rain wear or athletic garments. It wrinkles badly and is easily abraded. It may shrink when washed and is susceptible to mildew.

On the plus side, many rayons today may be machine washed and dried with excellent results. There are still some rayons which are not washable, and there are other things which may make washing a garment unadvisable. It is not good to wet clean highly structured or lined garments, and some dyes are not colorfast.

Michelle James, textiles specialist with Cooperative Extension Service, University of Arkansas, says today's rayons are perfect for softly shaped garments and silhouettes with movement: oversized or full shirts, wrap or gored skirts, full pants and shirtwaist dresses.

Rayon is comfortable, is more absorbent than cotton, and comes in many colors and textures. It can be woven into an assortment of linen, silk and cotton look-alikes, in addition to challis and crepe.

Several modifications of rayon are in the marketplace. Understanding them may help clear up confusion about performance.

Regular rayon is the most common and is found in apparel and home furnishings. It is known as viscose, and its distinguishing property is low wet strengthit may stretch or shrink when wet. Dry cleaning is recommended to preserve its appearance. If machine washed, untreated regular rayons can shrink as much as 10 percent.

High wet modulus (HWM) rayon is modified viscose with high set strength. Garments may be machine washed and tumble dried and perform like cotton. They shrink less in washing, absorb less moisture and maintain initial appearance longer. They are 50 percent stronger than regular rayon when dry and 100 percent stronger when wet.

HWM rayons can be mercerized to increase strength and luster. It may be referred to as polynosic or high performance rayon.

High tenacity rayon is twice as strong as HWM rayon, but is used in tire cord and other industries.

Microfiber is a very fine fiber that can be made from any type of rayon. Microfibers are less than one denier in diameter, half the thickness of a fine silk fiber. Rayon microfiber fabrics drape well and are silk-like in hand and appearance. Those made form HWM rayons are machine washable while those made from regular rayons require dry cleaning or very gentle hand-washing.

Rayon garments have desirable properties, but read and follow individual labels for best use and care.

For more information on textiles, contact the Clark County Extension office at 246-2281.