It depends on how the polyester filament fibres are woven, or knitted, into a fabric. Of particular importance is the tightness or looseness of the weave.
Do you enjoy a sweat-soaked workout in the gym? Most likely your kit is a stretchy jersey made from knitted polyester.
In this looser form, polyester makes an excellent moisture-wicking material enabling your sweat to wick away and evaporate in the open air. How does this happen? This repulsion of water encourages sweat to migrate along the length of each fibre, working its way through the gaps in the fabric until it reaches the outside of the fabric where it can evaporate. This mechanism also explains why polyester dries quickly.
The ability to move moisture around means the water does not hang about, which is why your gym kit the first to dry after being washed.
All well and good, but there is one small problem: for some reason, polyester encourages the growth of odour producing bacteria.
Tightly woven polyester acts as a barrier to water because a tight weave makes any gaps between the threads too small for water droplets to pass - ideal rainproofing. If the weave is sufficiently tight, it will even prevent water vapour from passing; in which case the fabric does not 'breathe'. This property might be perfect for a weather-resistant camera bag, but it's less than ideal for most indoor clothing.
However, because the fabric does not breathe well, water vapour stays trapped next to the skin, leaving the wearer feeling hot, sticky and uncomfortable. Happily, even cheaper uniforms these days tend to be made from a polyester-cotton blend known as polycotton to overcome some of these problems.
Viscose works differently to polyester. Viscose is a semi-synthetic fibre made from a compound known as cellulose — a plant-based material. Like polyester, it is also formed in long smooth filament fibres, but that is where the similarities end. Unlike polyester, viscose is water-absorbing. Each fibre of viscose has tiny spaces running inside called nanopores.
Unlike oil-based polyester which repels water, the cellulose-based viscose encourages water to seep into these nanopores so wetting the inside of the fibre itself. It is this affinity to water that makes viscose so good at absorbing water. It also makes the fabric highly breathable, which is essential for comfort. Breathable fabrics remove water vapour and heat from your skin, leaving you feeling cool, dry and comfortable. Viscose does this well, which is why it's such an excellent material for underwear.
When it comes to sweat, regular amounts of sweat can be absorbed into the fabric and locked away, preventing sweat marks on your shirt - making it a popular choice for undershirts. It also doesn't suffer the same stinky microbe problem that plagues polyester. It's not clear why that is the case, but a theory is that microbes can't grow on viscose because all the available water is locked away inside the fibre.
Bacteria prefer to breed in the tiny droplets of water found on the surface of polyester fibres. But wait! It's not all rosy for viscose: it has its problems. Overwhelm viscose with too much water sweat , and it will become saturated and clammy. Moreover, because it likes to absorb water, not repel it, it needs more time to dry after washing. Both polyester and viscose are man-made, but oil-based polyester repels water while plant-based viscose attracts and absorbs water.
Polyester fabric is good at wicking water away, making it ideal for the gym. But unfortunately, it may pong after wearing because water droplets on the surface of the fibres make ideal breading conditions for odour producing bacteria.
Since the fabric shrinks, you should use cold or lukewarm water and a mild detergent. If using a washing machine is a must, then you should choose the gentle cycle. Viscose should be left to air dry. If your viscose fabric gets stained, you should avoid scrubbing the spot aggressively.
Viscose absorbs colors easily, so removing dry stains will be more challenging. However, removing wrinkles is a bit difficult, especially if they happen when the material is wet. To iron it, put a pressing cloth between the iron and the fabric and use the silk setting. It withstands everyday use, drapes well, and feels soft to touch. Home Blog What is Viscose Fabric? Everything You Need to Know.
What is Viscose? Spandex or lycra can also be added to cotton to give a comfortable, slightly stretchy fit to clothing. Cotton can be quite a rigid fabric; the extra give provided by a little bit of lycra can help create looser, more comfortable garments. Viscose is a hybrid of natural wood pulp mixed with chemicals to create a semi-synthetic fabric. With a similar drape and feel to silk, viscose is the cheaper but just as luxurious alternative. Unlike rayon which looks and feels like silk, viscose may look like silk, but it feels like cotton.
The versatile appearance of the fabric is one of the reasons for its popularity. Introduced in , viscose is relatively inexpensive to produce and can make dresses, jackets, carpets, and upholstery. This fabric is breathable and absorbent, making it a great choice for sportswear. It can be blended with other fibers, including cotton, polyester, and stretch fabrics like spandex.
Viscose is a member of the rayon family of fabrics. Viscose is sometimes referred to as rayon or rayon viscose. There are three different types of rayon fabrics. Known as a model, viscose, and lyocell, each one originates from the cellulose extracted from wood pulp. They are processed slightly differently to produce characteristics unique to each type. Model and viscose fibers are formed in much the same way.
However, the model fibers are stretched after spinning. This means model fibers are longer, finer, and lighter than viscose.
The compound can be reused, making lyocell the most sustainable member of the rayon family. Cotton is made from the soft, fluffy protective casing surrounding the cotton seeds. This is known as the boll.
The cotton plant needs sun, decent rainfall, and limited exposure to frost to grow. This is why the best locations are tropical or subtropical. Production of cotton is an in-depth procedure. First, the cotton is collected in two ways. Either the whole plant is harvested, or the boll is stripped from the plant. After harvesting, the cotton is turned into bales and left to dry in the fields.
A machine known as a cotton gin is used to clean and fluff the cotton fiber from the rest of the plant. The resulting fibers are then pressed together before being sent to fabric mills.
At the mills, the fibers are carded to clean them and form short strands. These short fibers become a long strand, which is now ready for spinning into yarn. The yarn is then woven into different weight cotton fabrics. The process of making viscose is more involved than cotton. Viscose is derived from the wood pulp of plants like bamboo. When dissolved in chemicals, the wood pulp forms an alkali solution. This alkali solution is pressed to remove liquid.
In a similar way to how paper is made, the pressed matter is formed into sheets. The next stage involves chopping the sheets into tiny pieces known as crumbs.
More chemicals are added and the crumbs are dissolved into a solution of sulphuric acid. Creating a viscose solution. Filtering the solution removes any remaining traces of acid. Next, trapped air is removed from the mixture as any air bubbles could cause weak spots in the final product. The solution is pushed through a machine known as a spinneret to form filaments or long fibers of regenerated cellulose. When it comes to a choice between cotton and viscose, it can be difficult to tell which one will suit a project better.
Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. By Lloyd Alter.
Lloyd Alter. Learn about our editorial process. Fact checked by Haley Mast. Haley Mast is a freelance writer, fact-checker, and small organic farmer in the Columbia River Gorge. She enjoys gardening, reporting on environmental topics, and spending her time outside snowboarding or foraging. Topics of expertise and interest include agriculture, conservation, ecology, and climate science.
Learn about our fact checking process. Share Twitter Pinterest Email. In This Article Expand. How It's Made. Properties of Viscose.
0コメント