WONDERS OF ARTIFICIAL SILK.

Putaruru Press, Volume III, Issue 86, 18 June 1925, Page 5

WONDERS OF ARTIFICIAL SILK.

HISTORY OF THE PRODUC TION OF CELANESE.

Synthetic Fibres. (Extracts from the Yorkshire Evening Argus of a Lecture on “ Celanese ** by Mr C. W. Palmer, Describing the Wonders of “ Artificial Silk.” Mr Palmer opened his lecture by commenting on the age-long desire of man for variety, and he pictured our remote ancestors of prehistoric times striving after variety of effect by interlacing coloured grasses to form fabrics for clothing and protection. The invention of spinning gave an impetus to the introduction of varied effects; and the weaver was obliged to produce fabrics of lustre and delicacy as well as of durability; and with rising culture luxury and comfort, distinction and splendour made their demand. To satisfy these requirements the world had long been searched from end to end for' materials capable of being worked up into fabrics. Only four of these natural products had stood the test of experience and become established as basic materials for the clothing of civilised man. Two of thdin, silk and wool, were of animal origin, and two, cotton and flax, were derived from the vegetable kingdom. THE FIRST SYNTHETIC FIBRES. It was not until the beginning of the present, century that any degree of success attended human efforts to produce a synthetic fibre, when, following experiments of chemists abroad and in this country, a fibre was developed which possessed some of the properties essential for making textile fabrics, and this fibre was styled artificial silk because in lustre it resembled the natural article, and also because the method of extrusion of the filament was similar to that employed by the silkworm in making its silk filament. TREATMENT OF CELLULOSE. It was not to be wondered at that the early cellulose, after passing through the usual treatment, should have lost much of its strength when re-converted, and it was not remarkable that the regenerated cellulose born in a watery bath should be susceptible to water and consequently very weak when wet. Such was actually the case, and much research energy had been devoted to saving sufficient of the original strength of the cotton cellulose to make the material strong enough for textile purposes.

Its use in hosiery was early recognised, and, as artificial silk had not sufficient wearing qualities, the manufacturers cleverly compromised between appearance and wearing qualities, introducing stockings which had cotton or wool at the toe. heel, and top, where wearing qualities were needed, and in this way manufacturers managed to dispose of 10,000 tons of stockings in one year. So great was the demand for artificial silk that in recent yeqrs many companies, particularly abroad, had been attracted by the glitter of its prospects and had started factories to produce artificial silk in the form of regenerated cellulose.