Viscose Rayon

It is a regenerated cellulosic fiber and cellulose is the raw material for producing this man made fiber. The
raw material is obtained from a special variety of wood called spruce.

Manufacturing Process

a. Purification of Cellulose : The manufacture of viscose rayon starts with the purification of
cellulose. Spruce trees are cut into timber. Their barks are removed and cut into pieces measuring
7/8" x 1/2" x 1/4". These pieces are treated with a solution of calcium bisulphite and cooked with
steam under pressure for about 14 hours.
The cellulosic component of the wood is unaffected by this treatment, but the cementing material
called lignin, which is present in the wood, is converted into its sulphonated compound which is
soluble in water. This can be washed off, thereby purifying the remaining cellulose. This cellulose is
treated with excess of water. After this it is treated with a bleaching agent (sod hypochlorite) and
finally converted into paper boards or sheets. This is called wood pulp, which is normally purchased
by the manufacturers of viscose rayon.

b. Conditioning of Wood Pulp : The pulp sheets are cut by a guillotine to the required dimension
and are kept in a special room. Air moves freely among the divisors by means of ventilatorys, the
temperature is maintained at 30 deg celcius. In this way the desired moisture content can be had.

c. Steeping Process : The conditioned wood pulp sheets are treated with caustic soda solution
( about 17.5%). It is called mercerising or steeping. The high DP cellulose (1000) is converted into
soda cellulose. The sheets are allowed to soak (steep0 until they become dark brown in colour. This
takes about 1-14 hours. The caustic soda solution is drained off and sheets are pressed to squeeze out
excess caustic soda solution. 100 kg of sulphite pulp gives about 310 kg of soda cellulose.

4. Shredding or cutting process : The wet, soft sheets of soda cellulose are passed through a
shredding machine which cuts them into small bits. In 2-3 hours the sheets are broken into fine
crumbs.

5. Ageing Process : To obtain almost ideal solution of cellulose, the soda cellulose is stored in
small galvanised drums for about 48 hours at 28 deg C. This process is called ageing process.The
ageing process is essential. During This process, the DP od soda cellulose is decreased from 1000 to
about 300 by oxygen present in the air, contained in the drum.

6. Churning Process or Xanthation : After ageing, the crumbs of soda cellulose are transferred to
rotating, air tight, hexagonal churners or mixers. Carbon disulphide ( 10% of the weight of the
crumbs) is added to the mixer and churned together for 3 hours by rotating the mixers at a slow
speed of 2 rev per minutes. Sodium cellulose xanthate is formed during this process and the colors of
the product changes from white to reddish orange.

7. Mixing or dissolving Process : The orange product i.e. sod.cell.xanthate is in the form of small
balls. These fall into a mixer called dissover which is provided with a stirrer. A dilute solution of
caustic soda is added, and the contents are stirred for 4-5 hours and at the same time, the dissovler is
cooled. The sod.cell.xan. dissovles to give a clear brown thick liquor, similar to honey. This is called
'viscose' and it contains about 6.5% caustic soda and 7.5% cellulose.

8. Ripening Process : This viscose solution requires to be ripened to give a solution having best
spinning qualities. Ripening is carried by storing the viscose solution for 4-5 days at 10 to 18 deg.
 The viscosity of the solution first decreases and then rises to its original value. The ripened solutoin
is filtered carefully and is now ready for spinning to produce viscose rayon filaments.

9. Spinning Process : The viscose solution is forced through a spinnerette, having many fine holes
( 0.05-0.1mm) diameter. The spinnerette is submerged into a solution containing the following
chemicals.
10% --> sulphuric acid, 18%- Sod sulphate, 1% - Zinc sulphate, 2% glucose, 69% water.

The spinning solution is kept at 40-45 deg celcius.

Sodium sulphate precipitates the dissoved sod. cell.xanthate. Sulphuric Acid converts xanthate into
cellulose, carbon disulphide and sod. sulphate. the glucose is supposed to give softness and pliability
to the filaments whereas zinc sulphate gives added strength.

The quality of viscose rayon filament formed depends upon:

1. The temperature of the spinning bath

2. The composition of the spinning bath.
3. The speed of coagulation
4. The period of immersion of the filament in the spinning bath.
5. The speed of spinning.
6. The stretch imparted to the filaments.

As a number of filaments emerge from the spinnerets, they are taken together to an eye at the surface
of the spinning bath and then guided to two rollers from where they are wound on to a spindle.
Properties of Viscose Rayon

Moisture Absorption : It absorbs more moisture than cotton. Moisture Content of Coton is 6% at 70 deg F
and 65% RH, and for Viscose Rayon it is 13% under the same conditions.

Tensile Strength : The Tensile Strength of the fibre is less when the fibre is wet than when dry. It is 1.5-2.4
gpd in the dry state and 0.7-1.2 gpd in the wet state. For high tenacity variety the values are 3-4.6 gpd and
1.9 to 3.0 gpd.

Elasticity - The elasticity of Viscose Rayon is less than 2-3%. This is very important in handling viscose
yarns during weaving, stentering etc when sudden tensions are applied.

Elongation at Break - Ordinary Viscose rayon has 15-30% elongation at break, whule high tenacity rayon
has only 9-17% elongation at break.

Density - The density of Viscose rayon is 1.53 g/cc. Rayon filaments are available in three densities: 1.5,
3.0 and 4.5

Action of Heat and Light - At 300 deg F or more, VR loses its strength and begins to decompose at 350-
400 deg F. Prolonged exposure to sunlight also weakens the fibre due to moisture and ultraviolet light of the
sunlight.

Chemical Properties - Viscose rayon consists of cellulose of lower DP than cotton cellulose. Also
amorphous region of Viscose rayon is present to a greater extent, therefore, Viscose rayon reacts faster than
cotton with chemicals. Acids like H2SO4 HCL breaks the cellulose to hydrocellulose. Oxidising agents like
Na(OCl)2, Bleaching powder, K2Cr2O7, KMnO4- form oxycellulose. Cold acid solutions for a short time
do not attack viscose rayon.

Action of Solvents - Textile solvents can be used on Viscose rayon without any deteriorating effect.
Viscose rayon dissolves in cuprammonium hydroxide solution.

Effect of Iron - Contact with iron in the form of ferrous hydroxide weakens viscose rayon yarns. Therefore
staining, marking or touching of rayon to iron or iron surface should be avoided.

Action of Microorganisms - Microorganisms ( moulds, mildew, fungus, bacteria) affect the colour,
strength, dyeing properties and lustre of rayon. Clean and dry viscose rayon is rarely attacked by moulds
and mildew.

Longitudinal View - The longitudinal view of these fibres show many striations running parallel to the long
axis of the fibre. The cross section of viscose has striated periphery, having many sharp indentations, and
cross sectional contours vary from circular and oval to ribbon-like forms.