Rayon--Man-Made Silk Item Type Article Authors Booher, Margaret Publisher College of Agriculture, University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ) Journal Arizona Agriculturist Rights Copyright © Arizona Board of Regents. The University of Arizona. Download date 30/09/2021 04:38:39 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/303092 OCTOBER, 1926 ARIZ ON A AGRICU LTURIST PAGE SEVEN RAYON--MAN-MADE SILK By MARGARET BOOHER Man Is Now Substituting for the Silk Worm-No Longer Do We Need to Depend on the Silk Worm for a High Quality of Silk­ Advantages of Rayon Over Real Silk -nERHAPS no textile fabric is production of rayon is made accord­ the excess moisture, thus keeping the used to a greater extent at the ing to this method. skin dry and comfortable. � time than From On the other when present rayon. For the Viscose process, bleached hand, washing almost the of down in it absorbs so much of the beginning time, spruce pulp, cotton linters, or a mix­ water, cotton it increases in through the ages, silk, wool, ture of the two are the raw materials liquid that volume by and linen have clothed the civiliza­ used. The pulp is cut in rectangular forty percent. For this reason, when decorated its inhabitants. it is better to tion, and sheets and soaked in a caustic soda drying spread rayon No new fiber had been introduced un­ out on a sirf'ace in­ solution which causes the fibers to garments flat CI when was stead of on a as the forty years ago rayon swell and form a compound known as hanging line) first admitted into the textile world. soda-cellulose. Then the sheets are water in a hanging garment collects It took the first 30 years to prove shredded to fine crumbs, and placed at the lowest point and tends to cause that rayon should be classed as one in containers where a constant tem­ a stretching of the partially dry por­ of the five leading fibers. It is now perature is maintained in order that tions. and is in all Gasoline or well known clean­ independtn applied an aging process may take place. any lines of textile manufacture. The next treatment is with carbon ing compound. will cause no injury to But what is this "Rayon"? It is bisulphide which transforms the in­ rayon. It will take starch as cotton. defined as a lustrous textile fiber soluble cellulose into a water oluble When ironing, it is wise to press the Jose a made by conver-ting pure cell', compound, "Viscose." The visco e is material under slightly dampened into thread formation by means of pumped through mechanical regulat­ cloth. If the iron is used directly' on chemical and mechanical We the it is to a process. ors placed on the spinning machines goods, likely give pe­ call it "artifical silk," and "fiber silk," so that a constant amount is forced culiar shiny appearance such as the but these terms are often misleading, through the outlets fitted with plat­ impress of an iron on worsted or a water is too hot because it is not silk. It is fiber, in; rn nozzles. The solution, forced woolen goods. No or of but so are s.lk, wool, cotton and linen. through the minute holes of the noz­ too cold to harm the texture the term "artifieal be­ this As all is We get s.lk," zles, is divided into very fine streams goods. nearly rayon cause ambition of inventor there is little of the the which are passed through chemical fast dyed, danger a and 0 was to find substitute for silk, solutions to cause immediate coagu- harming the colors in washing. for want of a better name it was first : ation, and the formation of fine fila­ The most commonly recognized introduced as "artifical silk." The merits which are collected and con­ form of rayon is the knitted fa:bric present term "Rayon" was selected verted into skeins of twisted yarn. used in sweaters, scarfs, women's un­ it is to etc. been in because easy say, pleasant The degree 0: softness can be pro­ derwear, hosiery, It has to hear, and expressive. It suggests duced during the manufacture ince general use for years in many other sun rays, and is appropriate for a it is the result of the number of single forms not commonly known as ray­ material on which the si 'n can shine filaments drawn from the cellulose on. Among these are silk and rayon without disastrous effects. has soh.tion. The rayon filament can be brocades and tapestries, It found The invention was based on the ob­ its into of the finest dress spun as fine as cocoon fibers. Its way many servation of silk in nati �e. materials. It is '[sed in woolens for spinning dye.ng qualities are very advantage­ Scientists observed how the decorative and In silkworm, ous, s.nce it takes substantive and stripes patterns. on and other feeding mulberry leaves, produced basic colors very uniformly, giving many figured voiles, mulls, the silk fiber. tried to it is in the They repro­ br.Iiant colors to the yarn or fabric. cotton materials, evident duce this in a chemical and process Rayon is soft and pliable. It owes sidky stripes and patterns. Curtains, mechanical way. The first raw ma­ its extensive application in all textile embroidery floss, fringes, laces, elas­ terial used for the experiment was commodities to its uniformity, fine tic braid, ribbons, and sewing thread identical with the food 'eaten by the luster and high dyeing quality. Fab­ are some of the articles which are cellulose extracted made from silkworm, namely, rics made of rayon must be handled entirely rayon. from the leaf. Later it was It has some over real mulberry carefully like any kind of delicate advantages found that wood pulp and cotton lint­ fabric. It loses its strength while silk. Natural silk rots from perspir­ ers were best adapated to the manu­ wet, but regains its previous strength ation and turns yellow, while artifi­ facture of rayon on a commercial after drying. If handled carefully, it cial silk remains white. Real silk is basis. resists all the usual treatment with generally weighted to a very high which makes it brittle and There are four different kinds of chemicals, and also higher tempera­ percent, not conducive to health. Artifi­ rayon according to the four different tures. It will not turn yellow regard­ good cial silk is not and has no processes by which it is manufac­ less of age or treatment. It has the weighted effect on the skin. tured. These are: Nitrocelh.Iose pro­ property of absorbing a large amount injurious cess, Cuprammonis process, Acetate of moisture. This is an advantage Rayon can easily be identified by process and Viscose process. The lat­ when used for underwear because it its chemical and physical properties, ter is used to the greatest extent, absorbs the perspiration from the the combustion test being the simpl­ 80 of since per cent of the present world body, and permits the evaporation (Continued on Page Fourteen) PAGE FOURTEEN ARIZONA AGRICULTURIST OCTOBER, 1\J�:j BIOLOGY IN RELATION TO plants and animals. To know the niary standpoint. Therefore it is DOLLARS AND CENTS chemical condition in their bodies is through such deductions that we hav-e an advantage and more than an ap­ the right to speak of a divided science (Continued from Page Five) preciation. And to know in terms of in relation to dollars and cents. In­ chemistry when to apply certain cidentally the additional dollars and come and ardent cooperator the chem­ measures in case of distress, means cents came more to the rightfully ist. He strives ani helps us in our dollars and cents, and above all a claiming agricultr rist and to human­ as to of settl­ problems possibilities comfort to the nation and world. ity in general, than to the scientist in formation ing perplexing' problems My decription above, you may whose labors made them possibe, and transformation of substances in think, centers from only my pecu- The scientist of course has the en­ joyment of his work and the satisfac­ tion of performing valuable service, ---------A-------- RAYON- MAN ·MADE SILK (Continued from Page Seven) est. It burns like cotton with an odor­ COLT SAFEST less flame and leaves no residue but LIGHT AND a small amount of ash. It is dist.n­ IS BEST guished from real silk in that it does SUNLIGHT BY TEST not dissolve in a concentrated soh ... tion of caustic soda. The future possibilities of rayon are in the hands of scientists, and since they ha.ve already done so much, we feel confident that rayon has proven its worth and UJ3e to all of us. A-------- School health examinations are for Bringing modern lights and more than statistics. Be on hand when the doctor looks over your child, and take his recommendations to conveniences into thousands heart. of country homes 1 FOR more than a quarter of ready with instant heat for r�a:s�::- a century, Colt Light has convenience cooking. I been I bringing modern, Colt Light Plants are Suits labor-saving conveniences moderately priced. The into the homes of I progres­ average cost for lighting, I sive farm people everywhere. cooking and ironing is about For Fall 1926 Colt is ten cents I Today Light recog­ per day-less than I nized as the best and most the cost of oil giving equal economical rural lighting service. And a Colt Light 1. 100% Pure Wool I system.