The Difference Between Rayon/Viscose & Polyester
Attributes |
Madeira Classic Viscose Rayon
|
Madeira Polyneon Polyester |
Origin | Natural fibre from trees | Manmade fibre from oil |
Appearance | Very brilliant Smooth soft sheen Natural living silk | High Brilliance Glistening, more artificial sheen
|
Touch | Soft | Slightly harder |
Market segment | ALL | ALL, & recommended for swimwear, chlorine & stonewashing |
Strength | High tensile strength, with high wet strength compared to cheaper viscose | High tensile strength |
Embroidering
Machine speeds
Thread Breaks
Residue
Automatic thread trimmers
Background fabrics
| Easy, very flexible thread Precise, clear embroidery
High speeds
Minimum
Very little – clean thread
No problems
| Perfect when tension adjusted accordingly.
High speeds but see below
Minimum
Minimal
Strong thread, so trimmers may not always work, causing more downtime
Not for very fine or dense fabrics as very strong and not so flexible as viscose |
Heat cutting (eg for badges/appliqués) | No problem | Not recommended, as polyester melts at 200°C |
Quality | Highest Quality – to International ISO, DIN & M&S standards | Highest Quality – to International ISO, DIN & M&S standards |
Environmental issues | Oeko-tex Class I Certification | Oeko-tex Class I Certification |
Range
Thicknesses available | CASSIC No. 40 413 Colours including 57 ombré & multicolours & Astro and 5 different black & white colours 30, 40 (standard) & 60 | 359 Colours including 10 Astro colours
POLYNEON No. 60 100 Colours |
Price | Slightly more expensive than Polyneon, but minimal increase on cost per 1000 stitches Runs fast on machines so production time reduced | Slightly lower priced – possible future changes due to world oil situation
|
Availability | Worldwide | Worldwide |
Flammability | Fast & even | Melt & “explosive” |
Washing
Multi-washing | 95°C Standard detergent wash
In general, no problem – durability of high tensile viscose is better than cotton or wool | 95°C Heavy duty detergent/bleach washing, chlorine & stonewashing*
No problem |
Ironing | Iron @ ·· 150°C | Iron @ ·· 150°C |
*following recommended guidelines
