What is rayon? The fabric made from wood

What is rayon made of?

Rayon is made of cellulose, the same structural material that makes up cotton fibers and the walls of plant cells. In the United States the Federal Trade Commission defines rayon as a manufactured fiber of regenerated cellulose, which means the cellulose has been taken out of a plant, dissolved and then reformed into a new fiber. The starting material is usually pulp from trees such as eucalyptus, pine, beech or spruce, although bamboo and other plants can be used too.

The word regenerated matters. Cotton is picked from the plant as a ready made fiber, and linen is pulled from the stem of flax. Rayon has no fiber until a factory creates one, so the manufacturer controls its length, thickness and luster. That is why rayon can be made to imitate silk, cotton, linen or wool, and why two rayon garments can feel so different from each other. Rayon began life in the late nineteenth century as artificial silk, and it is still used where people want a silky hand without the price or care of silk.

How rayon is made

Most rayon is made by the viscose process, developed in Britain in the 1890s. Wood pulp is treated with caustic soda, then with carbon disulfide, which turns the cellulose into a thick, honey like solution. That solution is pushed through a spinneret, a plate with tiny holes, into a bath of acid, where the cellulose sets again as fine filaments. The filaments are washed, dried and either kept long for smooth fabrics or cut into short staple lengths and spun like cotton.

Variations on this process produce the relatives you see on labels. Modal is a rayon stretched during spinning so its molecules line up, which makes it stronger when wet and less prone to shrinking. Lyocell, sold under brand names such as Tencel, dissolves the pulp directly in a solvent that is recovered and reused, skipping carbon disulfide entirely. Cupro uses a copper and ammonia solution and is made mostly in Japan today. Our guides to viscose fabric, modal and Tencel lyocell cover each one in detail.

Is rayon natural or synthetic, and is it plastic?

Rayon sits between the two camps, which is why it is usually called semi synthetic or a manufactured cellulosic fiber. Its raw material comes from plants and its molecule is cellulose, the same as cotton. But it only becomes a fiber through heavy chemical processing, and the Federal Trade Commission is clear that the finished fiber contains no trace of the original plant. That is also why a shirt made from bamboo pulp must be labeled rayon or rayon made from bamboo in the United States, not simply bamboo.

Rayon is not plastic. Polyester, nylon and acrylic are made from petroleum based polymers, while rayon is regenerated plant cellulose, and cellulose fibers generally break down in the environment far more readily than synthetics. So when a label says rayon, you are looking at something chemically closer to cotton than to polyester, even though it was born in a chemical plant rather than a field.

How rayon feels and wears

Is rayon breathable? Yes. Like cotton, it absorbs moisture readily, and it tends to feel cool and smooth against the skin, which is why it is so common in summer dresses, blouses, camp shirts and pajamas. Its weight gives it a fluid drape that makes wide trousers swing and skirts fall softly rather than stand away from the body. It takes dye beautifully, so prints look saturated and clear.

The weaknesses are just as real. Ordinary rayon loses a large share of its strength when wet, so it can stretch, tear or shrink if it is scrubbed, wrung or tumbled. It wrinkles easily and does not spring back well. Is rayon fabric stretchy? Not much on its own: a woven rayon has almost no give, and the stretch in a rayon T shirt or leggings usually comes from added spandex. Cheaper rayon can also pill, fade at the seams and lose its shape after a season. Well made rayon, in a denser weave or a higher wet strength variety such as modal, lasts noticeably longer.

So is rayon fabric good or bad? It is good for loose, drapey clothes worn in warm weather and bad for anything that needs to survive hard wear, heavy sweat and hot machine washing. Judge each piece by the weight and density of the fabric, the seams and the care label rather than by the fiber name alone.

Rayon compared with cotton and polyester

Rayon and cotton are both cellulose, so both absorb moisture and breathe well. Cotton is the sturdier of the two: it is stronger when wet than when dry, tolerates warm washing and gets softer over years of use. Rayon drapes and shines more and feels silkier, but it asks for gentler care. A rayon blouse is not 100% cotton, whatever its hand suggests; the fiber content on the label will list rayon or viscose.

Is rayon better than polyester? It depends on what you need. Rayon is more comfortable in heat because it absorbs sweat rather than letting it sit on the skin. Polyester is far more durable, keeps its shape, resists wrinkles and dries quickly, which is why it dominates sportswear. Blends of the two try to capture some of each. For a fuller comparison of those two families, see polyester vs cotton.

How to wash and dry rayon

Start with the care label, because rayon garments vary widely. Some say dry clean only because the maker expects the fabric to shrink or the dye to bleed; take those seriously, especially for tailored pieces and linings. Many say hand wash or gentle machine wash cold. If you are unsure what the symbols mean, our guide to reading laundry symbols explains them.

1. 01

   Wash cool and briefly

   Use cool water, around 86°F (30°C) or lower, with a mild detergent, either by hand or on a delicate cycle with the garment in a mesh bag. Short, gentle washing limits the time the fibers spend weak and swollen with water. Our guide to hand washing clothes walks through the basin method.

2. 02

   Press water out, do not wring

   Lift the garment out supported in both hands and press water out against the side of the basin, then roll it in a dry towel. Twisting wet rayon stretches and distorts it, and the damage often stays after drying.

3. 03

   Dry flat or on a hanger

   Lay knits flat and hang woven shirts and dresses on a wide hanger, smoothing seams and hems with your hands. Keep rayon out of the dryer unless the label clearly allows it, because heat and tumbling are the main causes of shrinkage.

4. 04

   Iron on the reverse while slightly damp

   Use a low to medium setting and press on the wrong side, or use a pressing cloth. Rayon can develop shiny patches under a hot iron on its face. A steamer is often easier for loose dresses and blouses.

Is rayon toxic or bad for you?

The well documented problems with rayon happen in the factory, not on your body. Carbon disulfide, used in the viscose process, is highly toxic, and workers in poorly controlled plants have suffered serious harm from exposure; emissions can also affect nearby communities. The finished fiber is cellulose, and the chemistry is washed out during manufacture, which is why the concern for wearers is small compared with the concern for the people making it. If you have very sensitive skin, washing new clothes before wearing them is a sensible habit for any fabric.

The other concern is the forest. The environmental group Canopy has documented that wood for rayon, viscose and modal can come from ancient and endangered forests. If that matters to you, look for rayon with FSC or PEFC certified wood, or choose lyocell, whose solvent is recovered and reused. Buying fewer, better rayon pieces and caring for them well also makes a real difference.