2. Rayon is a lustrous fibre, so it is often used for formal wear. Rayon may be treated with a delustring finish to reduce the lustre of the fabric. LUSTRE

3. Rayon has good drapeability. DRAPE

4. Abrasion resistance is fair and rayon resists pill formation. ABRASION RESISTANCE

5. Rayon has low to medium strength but the strength reduces by 40- 70% when wet, causing it to stretch easily STRENGTH

6. Rayon is highly absorbent, as it is an amorphous fibre. ABSORBENCY

7. The elongation of rayon is low to moderate. ELONGATION

8. Rayon is a good conductor of heat and therefore is a cool fibre, suitable for summer clothing. Rayon is highly flammable due to its cellulosic nature THERMAL PROPERTIES

9. Rayon has poor resiliency, as it is inelastic. RESILIENCY

10. Rayon has poor dimensional stability. This is evident in hemlines on rayon garments, which will often drop out of shape. DIMENSIONAL STABILITY

11. Rayon has poor elasticity due to large percentage of amorphous regions. ELASTICITY

12. Rayon is damaged by acids. Strong alkalis may disintegrate rayon. EFFECT OF CHEMICALS

13. Rayon is sun resistant. SUN RESISTANCE

14. Colour fastness is dependent on the dyestuff used to dye the fibre or fabric. COLOUR FASTNESS

15. Rayon fabric will shrink more than cotton fabrics. SHRINK RESISTANCE

16. Rayon is damaged by silverfish and mildew. RESISTANCE TO BIOLOGICAL ATTACK