Milford chronicle., 1930-11-21
Students Vsit Rayon Factory
ManipuIatiOn Of Chemi-
Gals And Heat Works
Magic As Pulp Wood Is
Turned Into SIX
Threads.

The Milford High School Chemis-
try class on Tuesday, November 4,
visited Delaware's only Rayon Com
pany, located at New Castle. Della
ware. Mr.. Leon H. Ryan, general
manager of the Delaware Rayon
Corporation, met the class with
guides to take them through the
plant. We first entered the storage
room where white sheets of fir
wood PULP are stored. These sheets
look like white blotters, but they
are considerably thicker and in lar
ger cuts. Here the process begins,
the sheets are taken to large vats
where they are soaked in a strong
solution of caustic soda. After this
the sheets are pressed TO rid them
of the excess alkali and the swOl-
len alkali cellulose is torn into
crumbs" by what is known as a
shredding machine. Then the
crumbs are carried to sheet iron
cans and covered. Here they are
aged usually about three days un-
der very carefully controlled tenn
perature and humidity conditions.
When they have been sufficiently
aged they are treated with carbon
disulphide in drums or churns cali
ed "xanthators," forming the COM
pound known as sodium cellulose
xanthate, which is dissolved in di-
lutte caustic soda solution. At first
this is white and lumpy, then by
chemical action it turns from a
smooth yellow to a dark red. This
solution is known as viscose. 1t is
then sent through pipes to the Wis
cose department where it is kept
to be ripened and allowed to stand
at carefully controlled tempera-
ture for a definite length of time. A
chemist here tests the viscose from
time to time to see if it is ready to
enter the spinning machine This is
done by taking several drops of Wis
cose and mixing it with a salt solu-
tion to show how the fibTes are /
forming.
After it has passed this test the
red viscose which resembles molas-
ses is filtered and deaerated and |
spun through metal spinnerets con-
sisting of fOrty-four small holes |
about the size of pin in the end of
a metal arm. The number of holes |
varies according to the size of the
thread to be made.
The viscose then enters from the |
spinnerets into an acid settling |
bath which Immediately causes the
viscose to harden. 1t is then Joined
to a spinning pot which twists and
winds the thread up on large spools.
These cakes are then carried to
steam cabinets where they are
and disulphurized by treat
ing them with a solution of sodium
They are then spun on
electric revolving reels which wind
the threads in a diamond pattern, so
that they can be tied by women to
keep them from tangling.
After this the skeins are placed
under running water and then sent
to heated cabinets where they are
bleached. After becoming thorough
ly dry they are sent to the skein de-
partment where they are inspected
lOl ueASCIo. AlCeI IHlS 10 COIhplSISu
they are then sent to the shipping
and packed in ten
pound packages. The yarn is then
sent to weavers where it is dyed
and made into rayon material which
Is sent all over the United States. !
The Delaware Rayon Corporation
started in 1925 with small factory
10. 1o
factory employing about four hun
1red and fifty people with an esti-
mated output of 100000 pounds
year.
Tom Williams 81