rayon
A fine, smooth, hygroscopic textile fiber made
from various solutions of modified cellulose, such
as wood pulp or cotton linters. The rayons were
among the first, if not the first, of all the
man-made fibers considered for use in papermaking
from which simulated paper structures were
produced on conventional papermaking equipment.
Rayon fibers are among the better synthetic
papermaking fibers because: 1) they are far less
expensive than most of the organic or inorganic
synthetic fibers; 2) being cellulosic, and,
therefore, compatible with water slurries of other
cellulosic fibers, they can be handled by
conventional papermaking equipment and techniques;
and 3) they have most of the inherent advantages
of synthetic fibers, such as control of denier,
length, strength, elongation, cleanliness, and
optical uniformity.
The compatibility of rayon fibers with less
expensive pulp furnishes, as well as the ease with
which their diameters can be controlled, make them
useful for adding bulk to paper when an
improvement of porosity is required. In addition,
their cleanliness, strength, and bulking
properties also make them valuable components in
saturating papers. (42 , 143 )
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