Rayon
Fiber — one of 29 in the glossary
A manufactured fibre regenerated from wood pulp or other cellulose — technically neither natural nor fully synthetic. It drapes better than cotton and feels cool and fluid, which is why it is the third fibre in most triblends and a common addition to fashion-fit tees. It is weaker when wet, shrinks more than cotton and can be damaged by high heat, so cure temperatures need watching. Rayon takes dye differently from the cotton and polyester beside it, which is what gives triblend fabric its mottled surface and its softer, semi-transparent print result.
Regenerated, not spun or synthesised
Rayon starts as cellulose — wood pulp, usually — which is dissolved, forced through a spinneret and regenerated as filament. The chemistry of the fibre is plant cellulose; the fibre itself is manufactured.
That is why it sits in its own category: not natural like cotton, not petroleum-derived like polyester.
Viscose is the most common process. Modal and lyocell are refinements of the same idea with different solvents and different properties.
What it brings to a blend
Drape, mainly. Rayon hangs and flows in a way cotton does not, which is exactly why it is the third fibre in a triblend.
It is also cool to the touch and takes dye deeply, giving the rich, slightly heathered colour triblends are known for.
Take it out and you have a cotton-polyester blend that feels completely different.
The weakness
Standard viscose rayon loses much of its strength when wet and stretches out of shape, which is why so much rayon is labelled dry clean only.
It also does not accept water-based ink the way cotton does, so a blend containing rayon needs testing rather than a cotton recipe carried over.
Polynosic and lyocell are the versions engineered to fix the wet-strength problem.
Common questions
- Is rayon natural or synthetic?
- Neither, exactly. It is regenerated cellulose — plant material dissolved and re-formed as fibre — so the chemistry is natural and the fibre is manufactured.
- Why is rayon in triblends?
- For drape. Rayon hangs and flows in a way cotton cannot, and it takes dye deeply, which gives triblends their fluid feel and rich heathered colour.
- Does rayon shrink?
- It moves considerably, and standard viscose loses strength and stretches out of shape when wet, which is why much of it is labelled dry clean only.
Where this comes up
See also
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