Rayon is a fiber made of cellulosic material, or plant life, that is made to resemble silk. In fact, it used to be known as artificial silk before the term was changed in the early 1920s. The process to manufacture rayon begins with the plants that make it possible, such as wood. Once the materials have been harvested, it can then be manipulated and changed into the common rayon material with which most people are familiar.
The wood fibers used in the makeup of rayon come from one of three major species of trees. Pine, spruce and hemlock are the most popular choices, but these are not the only ones that can be used. However, the ease of cultivation of these trees, along with their abundance, make them some of the most economical to use. Cotton can also be used. The fact these natural products are used means rayon is not a synthetic product, even though its purpose is to imitate another natural product.
Once the material has been collected, the wood is ready for processing. The wood pulp is ground up and treated with sodium hydroxide. This is then dried over a period of several days. The resulting product is then mixed with liquid carbon disulfide. This becomes a very thick liquid with the approximate consistency of honey.
Once this is done, the liquid is then stored a few more days for aging. Then, the liquid is forced through a device with many holes to make individual strands. These strands are fed into acid, where they solidify. This helps create the basis for the solid material. Without this step, there would be no solid and, thus, no fabric.
After the filaments have been created, the rest of the process is very similar to the manufacturing process of any other clothing material. It must be spun into yarn. The equipment to do this is the same as those used for many other different types of fibers. The most common spinning methods for rayon include spool, pot and continuous spinning.
Once the fibers have been spun, the finishing touches can be added. These include treating the rayon fabric for fire resistance, shrinking and resistance to water. The smoothness of the fabric can also be affected, depending on the type of treatment given. These treatments help make the fabrics unique from one another. While these are the basic steps to manufacturing rayon, there are other steps that can be added depending on the type of rayon fabric being created.