RAYON Rayon is a very versatile fiber and has the same comfort properties as natural fibers.

It can imitate the feel and texture of silk, wool, cotton and linen. The fibers are easily dyed in a wide range of colors. Rayon fabrics are soft, smooth, cool, comfortable, and highly absorbent, but they do not insulate body heat, making them ideal for use in hot and humid climates.[7] The highest quality Hawaiian shirts produced between the 1930s and the 1950s that are most sought after by collectors are all made of rayon. The durability and appearance retention of regular rayon are low, especially when wet; also, rayon has the lowest elastic recovery of any fiber. However, HWM rayon is much stronger and exhibits higher durability and appearance retention. Recommended care for regular rayon is drycleaning only. HWM rayon can be machine washed.[6]

Physical structure
Regular rayon has lengthwise lines called striations and its cross-section is an indented circular shape. The cross-sections of HWM and cupra rayon are rounder. Filament rayon yarnsvary from 80 to 980 filaments per yarn and vary in size from 40 to 5000 denier. Staple fibers range from 1.5 to 15 denier and are mechanically or chemically crimped. Rayon fibers are naturally very bright, but the addition of delustering pigments cuts down on this natural brightness.[6

Uses
Some major rayon fiber uses include apparel (e.g. Aloha shirts, blouses, dresses, jackets, lingerie, linings, scarves, suits, neckties, hats, socks), the filling in Zippo lighters, furnishings (e.g. bedspreads, bedsheets, blankets, window treatments, upholstery, slipcovers), industrial uses (e.g. medical surgery products, non-woven products, tire cord), and other uses (e.g.yarn, feminine hygiene products, diapers, towels).
[3]

Rayon is a major feedstock in the production of carbon fiber.[citation needed]

Production method
Regular rayon (or viscose) is the most widely produced form of rayon. This method of rayon production has been utilized since the early 1900s and it has the ability to produce either filament or staple fibers.

Properties of Viscose Rayon

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 917% 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.

PROPERTIES OF RAYON Variations during spinning of viscose or during drawing of filaments provide a wide variety of fibers with a wide variety of properties. These include: Fibers with thickness of 1.7 to 5.0dtex, particularly those between 1.7 and 3.3 dtex, dominate large scale production. Tenacity ranges between 2.0 to 2.6 g/den when dry and 1.0 to 1.5 g/den when wet. Wet strength of the fiber is of importance during its manufacturing and also in subsequent usage. Modifications in the production process have led to the problem of low wet strength being overcome. Dry and wet tenacies extend over a range depending on the degree of polymerization and crystallinity. The higher the crystallinity and orientation of rayon, the lower is the drop in tenacity upon wetting. Percentage elongation-at-break seems to vary from 10 to 30 % dry and 15 to 40 % wet. Elongation-at-break is seen to decrease with an increase in the degree of crystallinity and orientation of rayon. Thermal properties: Viscose rayon loses strength above 149C; chars and decomposes at 177 to 204C. It does not melt or stick at elevated temperatures. Chemical properties: Hot dilute acids attack rayon, whereas bases do not seem to significantly attack rayon. Rayon is attacked by bleaches at very high concentrations and by mildew under severe hot and moist conditions. Prolonged exposure to sunlight causes loss of strength because of degradation of cellulose chains. Abrasion resistance is fair and rayon resists pill formation. Rayon has both poor crease recovery and crease retention. 7. Rayon Fiber Characteristics Highly absorbent Soft and comfortable Easy to dye Drapes well

The drawing process applied in spinning may be adjusted to produce rayon fibers of extra strength and reduced elongation. Such fibers are designated as high tenacity rayons, which have about twice the strength and two-third of the stretch of regular rayon. An intermediate grade, known as medium tenacity rayon, is also made. Its strength and stretch characteristics fall midway between those of high tenacity and regular rayon[13].

JUTE
Jute is a long, soft, shiny vegetable fibre that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. It is produced from plants in the genus Corchorus, which has been classified in the family Tiliaceae, or more recently in Malvaceae. Jute is one of the most affordable natural fibres and is second only to cotton in amount produced and variety of uses of vegetable fibres. Jute fibres are composed primarily of the plant materials cellulose (major component of plant fibre) and lignin (major components of wood fibre). It is thus a ligno-cellulosic fibre that is partially a textile fibre and partially wood. It falls into the bast fibre category (fibre collected from bast or skin of the plant) along with kenaf, industrial hemp, flax (linen), ramie, etc. The industrial term for jute fibre is raw jute. The fibres are off-white to brown, and 14 metres (312 feet) long.

Banana fiber
Banana fiber is a multiple celled structure. The lumens are large in relation to the wall thickness. Cross markings are rare and fiber tips pointed and flat, ribbon like individual fiber diameter range from 14 to 50 microns and the length from 0.25 cm to 1.3 cm, showing the large oval to round lumen. Banana fiber is a natural fiber with high strength, which can be blended easily with cotton fiber or other synthetic fibers to produce blended fabric & textiles. Banana Fiber also finds use in high quality security/ currency paper, packing cloth for agriculture produce, ships towing ropes, wet drilling cables etc. Banana plants coarse outer layer is commonly used for woven tablecloths, cushions, seating, and curtains, while the inner, silky layer is ideal for fine saris, kimonos, and ecocouture designs like the above "Doo-Ri" dress

General Properties of Polyester Textile:

1. Length: Polyester fibre could be produced n filament form or staple form i.e. as we desire. Fibre length is controllable. 2. Fineness of polyester textile: Fineness of polyester fibre is also controllable.

3. X-Sectional shape: Normal cross sectional shape is round but it is also made triangular, elliptical or pentagonal. Normally it is white but could be of any color if color is added during spinning. 4. Strength: Normally tenacity varies from 4.5 to 5.0 gram per denier for the polyester textile. In case of high tenacity fibre it may be up t 8.0 gram per denier. 5. Extensibility: Extension at break varies from 20% to 30 %. Good recovery from extension. Due to good extension, strength and functional property polyester is widely used as sewing thread in the garment industries. 6. Resiliency: Polyester textile shows good resiliency property. It does not crease easily and any undue crease can be recovered easily. 7. Dimensional Stability: Polyester fibre is dimensionally stable. It could be heat-set at around 200 degree C. heat set pol7yester fibre does not shrink or extended. 8. Moisture Regain: Very low moisture ranges from 0 0.4%. Due to low moisture regain polyester fiber feels worm, easily cleaned, soils less. 9. Action of bleaching agents: It is not damaged by the action of bleaching agents. 10. Action of acid and alkali: It is unaffected by the action of acid and alkali. 11. Action of organic solvent: Polyester textile is unaffected by organic solvent, hence polyester fibre could be dry-cleaned. 12. Action of Sunlight & Heat: Polyester is unaffected by normal sunlight but prolong exposure to sunlight cab reduce strength of polyester. Polyester fibre melts at 227 degree C to 242 Degree C. hence during ironing care should be taken to reduce the risk of damage. In contact to flame the polyester burns and melt when cold, the molten polymer forms hard bids. 13. Dye ability: Polyester fibre shows good dye ability at high temperature. Color fastness to washing and sunlight is also good. Disperse dyes are widely used for dyeing polyester fibre. 14. Biological Properties: Resistance to attack of mildew, moths and insects are good. 15. End use of Polyester textiles: Polyester fibre is widely used for apparelsboth 100% form and blended form with cotton, nylon, wool, rayon, acetate, etc fibres. Polyester textiles also used for making thermal underwear. Amongst the most important properties: Polyester fibres are particularly resistant to light and weather and can withstand climatic effects. They can be used where lightness and fineness are primary requirements. Polyester fibres are very well suited to blends with natural fibres. Fabrics in 100% polyester, or blends with an appropriately high proportion, are very creaseresistant and retain shape even when affected by moisture. Polyester fibres have good moisture transport and dry quickly. They are easy care.

High tenacity ensures above-average wear qualities. Heat treatment results in permanent creases in trousers and skirts.

General Polyester Fiber Characteristics: [24]

Strong Resistant to stretching and shrinking Resistant to most chemicals Quick drying Crisp and resilient Wrinkle resistant Mildew resistant Abrasion resistant Retains heat-set pleats and crease Easily washed

Banana Fiber

Banana fiber, a ligno-cellulosic fiber, obtained from the pseudo-stem of banana plant (Musa sepientum), is a bast fiber with relatively good mechanical properties.

Plant fibers are schlerenchymatous cells with heavily lignified cell walls having a narrow lumen in cross section. Fiber cells are dead at maturity and serve as a support tissue. Natural fibers possess several advantages over synthetic fibers such as low density, appropriate stiffness and mechanical properties and also high disposability and renewability. Also, they are recyclable and biodegradable. Banana fibers can be used for various purposes such as in textile, paper or handicrafts industry. Banana paper is versatile as it is waterproof and stronger than wood-pulp paper, meaning it can be used in packaging and even as a basis for building materials.

Banana Fiber - Structure and Usage

Banana plants coarse outer layer is commonly used for woven tablecloths, cushions, seating, and curtains, while the inner, silky layer is ideal for fine saris, kimonos, and ecocouture designs like the above "Doo-Ri" dress Banana fibers can be extracted by employing chemical, mechanical or biological methods. Chemical method causes environmental pollution, while mechanical method fails to remove the gummy material from the fiber bundle surface. Biological procedures yield more fiber bundles than the other two procedures without any harm to the environment. The extraction of banana fibers using biological natural retting has already been reported. After extracting the fibers, degumming is essential prior to the utilization of fibers. The removal of heavily coated, non-cellulosic gummy material from the cellulosic part of plant fibers is called degumming.

Banana fiber is a multiple celled structure. The lumens are large in relation to the wall thickness. Cross markings are rare and fiber tips pointed and flat, ribbon like individual fiber diameter range from 14 to 50 microns and the length from 0.25 cm to 1.3 cm, showing the large oval to round lumen. Banana fiber is a natural fiber with high strength, which can be blended easily with cotton fiber or other synthetic fibers to produce blended fabric & textiles. Banana Fiber also finds use in high quality security/ currency paper, packing cloth for agriculture produce, ships towing ropes, wet drilling cables etc. The pseudo-stem is a clustered, cylindrical aggregation of leaf stalk bases. Banana fiber at present is a waste product of banana cultivation and either not properly utilized or partially done so. The extraction of fiber from the pseudostem is not a common practice and much of the stem is not used for production of fibers. The buyers for banana fibers are erratic and there is no systematic way to extract the fibres regularly. Useful applications of such fibres would regularize the demand which would be reflected in a fall of the prices. Bast fibers, like banana, are complex in structure. They are generally lignocellulosic, consisting of helically wound cellulose microfibrils in amorphous matrix of lignin and hemicellulose. The cellulose content serves as a deciding factor for mechanical properties along with microfibril angle. A high cellulose content and low microfibril angle impart desirable mechanical properties for bast fibers. Lignins are composed of nine carbon units derived from substituted cinnamyl alcohol; that is, coumaryl, coniferyl, and syringyl alcohols. Lignins are associated with the hemicelluloses and play an important role in the natural decay resistance of the lignocellulosic material.

Technology / Process
There are two methods for extraction of Banana fiber, namely Bacnis method and Loenit method.

In the Bacnis method, Banana Fiber is produced from waste stalk of Banana plant. The outer sheath is tightly covered layers of fiber. The fiber is located primarily adjacent to the outer surface of the sheath and can be peeled-off readily in ribbons of strips of 5 to 8 cm wide and 2-4 mm thick, the entire length of sheath. This stripping process is known as tuxying the strips being called tuxies. Two methods of tuxying are employed in Philippines. In the first methodcalled Bacnis method, the trunks are pulled apart and the sheath separated according to their position in stalk. They are then flattened and the fiber is stripped from the stem by cutting the pulpy portion and pulling away the tuxy. In Loenit method, the tuxies are pulled off the stalk from one sheath at a time. In either of these methods tuxies are tied into bundles of 23 to 27 kg and brought to the stripping knife for cleaning. In this process tuxies are pulled under a knife blade, which is pressed tightly against the tuxy in order to scrape away the plant

tissue between the fibers. The clean fiber is then air dried and made up into bundles for subsequent grading and bailing. In addition to hand stripping, machines are used where the trunks from which the dark outer sheaths have been removed, are cut into sections of 120 to 180 cm in length. The sections are then crushed between rolls and the pulpy tissues are scraped away, one half the length at a time, by two large revolving drums, the rim of which are fitted with scrapping blade which scrape the sheath while it is pressed against a bed plate, oven dried, graded and baled.