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Rayon & Tencel®

Georges Audemars developed the first "artificial silk" about 1855, but his method was impractical for commercial use. Hilaire de Charbonnet, Comte de Chardonnay, patented "Chardonnay silk" in 1884, but it was so flammable it had no safe use. Finally, in 1894, Charles Frederick Cross, Edward John Bevan, and Clayton Beadle patented the first safe and practical artificial silk, which they named "viscose." The name "rayon" was adopted in 1924, with "viscose" being used for the viscous organic liquid used to make both rayon and cellophane. Rayon is a manufactured by chemically treating cellulose, and is therefore neither a synthetic nor a natural fiber, but it is manufactured using a renewable, non-petrochemical resource.

Lyocell (Trademark Tencel) is a man-made cellulose fiber made from wood pulp in an environmentally friendly manner, considered a sub-category of rayon. Like other natural fibers, lyocell is absorbent, breathable, and accepts dyes well. Lyocell is known for its strength in both a wet and dry state (stronger than cotton). It has a silky and lustrous appearance.

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