Centre Point School

CHEMISTRY INVESTIGATORY PROJECT

TOPIC:
PREPARATION OF RAYON THREAD

Khushi Chelani
XII H
Center Point School
Katol Road
Near Seminary Hills
Nagpur- 440013
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the following project ‘Preparation of
Rayon’ has been prepared by Ms.Khushi Chelani of class XII
H of Centre Point School, Katol Road, Nagpur in the subject
of Chemistry for the academic year 2021-2022.
This project is the result of sincere work
including careful experimentation, observation and
inference.

Mrs. Kshama Yadav

(Teacher in-charge)
Chemistry Department
Centre Point School,
Katol Road,
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I would like to express a sense of thanks and gratitude to my
Principal Mrs. Shilpee Ganguly and Vice Principal Mrs.
Delnaz Kapoor. I would also like to thank my Chemistry
teacher Mrs. Kshama Yadav for guiding me immensely
through the course of my project. Her constructive advice
and constant motivation have been responsible for the
successful completion of my project.

My sincere thanks to my parents for their motivation and

support. I must thank my classmates for their timely help
and support for the completion of this project.

Khushi Chelani
XII H
 INDEX
Contents Page Number
Front cover page 0

Certificate 1
Acknowledgement 2
Index 3
Introduction 4
Aim 5

Apparatus and Materials 5

required
Theory 6
Procedure 7
Observations and Graph 8
Result 8
Precautions 9
Bibliography 9
photograph 10
 INTRODUCTION
Cellulose is nature’s own giant molecule. It is the fibrous material that
every plant from seaweed to the sequoia makes by baking glucose
molecules in long chains; the chains are bound together in the fibers that
give plants their shape and strength. Wood has now become the main
source of cellulose. Since it contains only 40% to 50% cellulose, the
substance must be extracted by ‘pulping’. The logs are flaked, and then
simmered in chemicals that dissolve the tarry lignin, resins and minerals.
The remaining pulp, about 93% cellulose, is dried and rolled into sheets-
raw material for paper, rayon and other products.

It can be obtained in 2 ways:

1. Viscose Process: Cellulose is soaked in 30% caustic soda solution

for about 3 hrs. The alkali solution is removed and the product is
treated with CSi. This gives cellulose xanthate, which is dissolved in
NaOH solution to give viscous solution. This is filtered and forced
through a spinneret into a dilute H2SO4 solution, both of which
harden the gumlike thread into rayon fibers. The process of making
viscose was discovered by C. F .Cross and EJ.Bevan in 1891.
2. Cuprammonium Rayon: Cuprammonium rayon is obtained by
dissolving pieces of filter paper in a deep blue solution containing
tetra-ammine cupric hydroxide. The latter is obtained from a
solution of copper sulphate. To it, NH)OH solution is added to
precipitate cupric hydroxide, which is then dissolved in excess of
NH/.
3. Reactions:

CUSO4+ 2NH4OH — Cu(OH)2+ (NH4)2SO

Pale blue ppt

Cu(OH)2 + 4NH4OH — [Cu(NH3) 4](OH)2 + 4H2O

[Cu(NH2)4](OH)2 + pieces of filter paper left for 10-15 days give a

viscous solution called viscose
AIM
The aim of the project is to prepare rayon thread from

filter paper using cuprammonium process.

MATERIALS AND CHEMICLAS REQUIRED

• Conical flask ( preferably 250 ml )
• Funnel
• Glass Rod
• Beaker ( preferably 250 ml )
• Water
• Filter Papers
• Cotton
• CuSO4 ( About 20g )
• NaOH Solution
• Liquor Ammonia Solution
• Dilute H2SO4
• Distilled H2O
THEORY
Rayon is a synthetic fibre produced from cellulose developed in an attempt to
produce silk chemically. It was originally called artificial silk or wood silk.
Rayon is a regenerated fibre because cellulose is converted to a liquid
compound and then back to cellulose in the form of fibre.

Preparation of Cuprammonium Rayon: Cuprammonium rayon is obtained by

dissolving pieces of filter paper in a deep blue solution containing tetra-
ammine cupric hydroxide. The latter is obtained from a solution of copper
sulphate. NH4OH solution is added to precipitate cupric hydroxide which is
then dissolved in excess of NH4.

Reaction:
• CUSO4 + 2NH4OH ~ Cu(OH)2 +(NH4)2SO4 (Pale blue Precipitate)
• Cu(OH)2 + 4NH4OH ~[ Cu(NH3)4](OH2) + 4H2O
• [ Cu(NH3)4](OH2) +pieces of filter paper left for 10 ~ 15 days give a
viscous solution called VISCOSE.
PROCEDURE
The cellulose is dissolved in cuprammonium hydroxide [Cu(NH3)4](OH2) and the
procedure to be followed is given below:

1. To Prepare Cuprammonium Hydroxide Solution: Weigh about 20.0g of

crystalline copper sulphate in a clean watch glass. Dissolve it in 100 ml of water
taken in a beaker. Add dilute NaOH solution to this solution slowly with
stirring and note the separation of precipitate of Cu(OH)2. Filter the precipitate
on water pump and wash the precipitate thoroughly with water so that a
portion of filtrate does not indicate the presence of sulphate ions on testing
with BaCl2 solution. Now transfer thr precipitate to a 250 ml beaker add 50 ml
of liquor ammonia. The precipitate will dissolve resulting in a deep blue
solution of cuprammonium hydroxide (Schweitzer’s solution). This is the
solvent for dissolving cellulose.
2. Dissolving the Cellulose Matter: Weigh about 1g of ordinary filter paper and cut
it into small pieces. Add these pieces to the cuprammonium solution taken in a
conical flask. Close the flask with rubber stopper and allow it to stand for 3-4
days. During this period, filter paper completely dissolves leaving a viscous
solution called VISCOSE.

3. Formation of Rayon Filament: The viscose solution is taken in a syringe. Then

the nozzle of the syringe is dipped in a 5 M H2SO4 solution taken in a wide
mouthed beaker. Squeeze out the viscose into the acid solution and at the same
time keep on moving the nozzle in the acid. Long filaments of rayon will be
formed in the beaker. The acid bath is left undisturbed for 24 hours , until the
blue colour of the rayon filament changes to white. Rayon filaments are then
removed from the acid bath, washed with water and dried by keeping them on
filter paper. When the threads are completely dried , weigh them and
determine the maximum length of the fibre formed.
OBSERVATIONS
• Weight of filter paper taken = 1g
• Weight of rayon filament obtained = 1.2g
• Maximum length of the filament = 32 cm

RESULT
The white, thin threads present in the acid bath which were
obtained were Rayon threads.

PRECAUTIONS
• Addition of excess NH3 and NaOH should be avoided.
• Before taking the viscose in the syringe make sure that it does not
contain any particles of paper otherwise, it would clog the needle of the
syringe
• Addition of NH3 should be done in a fume cupboard and with extreme
care. The fumes if inhaled may cause giddiness.
• Use a thick needle otherwise the fibres won’t come out.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
➢ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayon
➢ https://textileapex.blogspot.in/2015/01/advantages-
disadvantages-synthetic-fibres.html
➢ http://www.teoline.com/knowledge-centre/manufacturing-
process-rayon.html
➢ http://www.fibersource.com/f-tutor/rayon.html
➢ http://projects.icbse.com/chemistry-299
 Chemicals

Stirring of solution
 Adding NaOH

Cuprammonium solution
Weighing copper sulphate

Viscous solution and rayon thread