Introduction

The main difference between cotton and viscose is the manufacturing process.
Cotton comes from the fluffy case of cotton seeds and is a completely natural
material. Viscose is a mix of wood pulp and chemicals. Neither natural nor
synthetic, it creates an artificial silk fabric. One that looks and feels like the real
thing.

Cotton is a natural fiber that has been a popular staple for generations for all kinds of
garments.Its breathability and moisture-wicking characteristics ensure it remains a firm
favorite, especially in warmer climates.
Viscose, on the other hand, is semi-synthetic. It has some of the good points of cotton
coupled with the pros and cons of synthetic fibers. Let’s take a look at some of the main
differences in a comparison table.warmer climates.

Cotton Fiber
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the
seeds of the cotton plants of the genus Gossypium in the mallow family Malvaceae. The
fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor percentages of waxes, fats, pectins,
and water. Under natural conditions, the cotton bolls will increase the dispersal of the
seeds.

Fig- Cotton Fiber

Chemical composition of cotton fiber
Cellulose : 80-90 %
Waxes & Fats : 0.5-1 %
Proteins : 0-1.5 %
Hemicelluloses &
Pectin : 4-6 %
Water : 6-8 %
Ash & Mineral Matters : 1-1.8 %

Cross section structure of cotton fiber:

1. Cuticle: the outermost layer of cotton is known as the cuticle and is a thin
film of fat, pectin and wax.
2. Primary cell wall: Inside the cuticle the primary wall is composed mainly of
cellulose in which the fibers are arranged in a criss-cross pattern.
3. Secondary cell wall: Under primary wall, secondary wall is composed of
cellulose which constitutes the balk of the fiber.
•The outer most S1 is comparatively thin layer of fibrils oriented vertically
with an angle of 20-35. In this region the fibrils periodically reverse the
direction of the spiral.
•The S2 zone which is situated inside S1, accounts for the bulk of the
cellulose content and in this case, the fibrils are again in the form of helices
with a somewhat lower pitch of 20-30 and which like those S1, are organized
so that there are periodical reversal in the direction of the spiral.
•In very mature fiber the S3 layer can be detected adjacent to the lumen
and it consists of the mineral salt and the proteins.
4. Lumen: The hollow central core of cotton fibers is known as the lumen.

Chemical Structure of Cellulose/cotton Fiber

 Cotton is mainly composed of cellulose, cellulose belongs to an important
group of organic compounds known as “Carbohydrates” this group includes
sugar, starch, etc.. They contain Hydrogen, Oxygen and Carbon.
 Cellulose content of the raw cotton fiber ranges from 88 to 96 %. Cellulose is a
polymer of ß-D-glucose with a specific configuration shown in figure. The
cellobiose, repeating unit of cellulose, consist of two beta glucose molecules
linked together at the 1:4 carbon atoms. Two such cellobiose molecule can
combined together (with elimination of water) and thus forms a big molecule structure

Physical Properties of Cotton Fibre:

Cotton fibre has some physical characteristics which are pointed out in the below:
Length: 0.5ʺ – 2.5”
Strength, tenacity (gm per denier): 3 – 5
Dimensional stability: medium
Heat preventive power: medium
Moisture regain: 7-10% (standard 8.5%)
Stiffness: 57-60 g/d due to high crystallinity
Elasticity: 1.50- 1.58
Resiliency: low
Abrasion resistance: medium
Density (gm/cc): less than both silk and wool but more than linen.
Color: cream or yellowish like clean white.
Specific gravity: 1.52-1.55

Chemical Properties of Cotton Fibre:

The main chemical characteristics of cotton fiber have presented in the following:
1. Action with alkali:
Here, preventive power is good. Alkali does not damage cotton fibre.
2. Action with acid:
Strong acid damage the fibres. Concentrated sulphuric acid and hydrochloric acid damage
the fibre. But weak acid does not damage the fibre.
3. Action with bleaching:
No damaging event is occurred here. Cotton is converted into oxi-cellulose in strong
oxidizing bleaching.
4. Action with organic solvent:
Resistance so dry is possible here.
5. Sunlight preventive power:
Ultraviolet ray converts the cotton into oxi-cellulose.
6. Mildew preventive power:
Untreated not easy. There is possibility to be affected.
7. Dye ability:
Affinity to color is good. Direct, reactive, sulphur and vat dyes are used.
9. Heat:
Conductive ironing temperature is 150°C where decompose is 2400°C and ignition
temperature is 390°C.

Viscose fiber
Viscose, which is also commonly known as rayon when it is made into a fabric, is a type
of semi-synthetic fabric. The name of this substance comes from the process that's used
to make it; at one stage, rayon is a viscous, honey-like liquid that later settles into a solid
form.The primary ingredient of rayon is wood pulp, but this organic ingredient goes
through a lengthy production process before it becomes a wearable fabric. Because of
these attributes, it's hard to determine whether rayon is a synthetic or natural fabric; while
its source material is organic, the process this organic material is subjected to is so
strenuous that the result is essentially a synthetic substance.

Fig- Viscose Fiber

Physical Properties of Viscose Rayon:
Viscose rayon fiber has a density of 1.52 g/cm3, higher than all other natural fibers and
also higher than most synthetic fibers. Thus, fabrics made of pure rayon fiber are usually
heavier than those made of other fibers at fixed fabric thickness. Important physical
properties of viscose rayon are described below.
1. Moisture Absorption
It absorbs more moisture than cotton. Moisture Content of Cotton is 6% at 70 deg F and
65% RH, and for Viscose Rayon it is 13% under the same conditions.
2. Tensile Strength
The Tensile Strength of the fiber is less when the fiber is wet than when dry. It is 1.5-2.4
gpd in the dry state and 0.7-1.2 gpd in the wet state. For high tenacity variety the values
are 3-4.6 gpd and 1.9 to 3.0 gpd.
3. Elasticity
The elasticity of Viscose Rayon is less than 2-3%. This is very important in handling
viscose yarns during weaving, stentering etc when sudden tensions are applied.
4. Elongation at Break
Ordinary Viscose rayon has 15-30% elongation at break, whule high tenacity rayon has
only 9-17% elongation at break.

Chemical Properties of Viscose Rayon:

The following are the various types of chemical properties of viscose rayon fiber. They
are-
1. Acids: Viscose rayon is damaged by strong acids but it is moderate with weak acids.

2. Basic: Good resistance to weak alkalis but strong alkali is harmful to viscose rayon.

3. Effect of bleaching: Strong oxidizing agents damage the viscose rayon fiber.
4. Organic solvent: Viscose rayon fiber has enough ability to protest the action of organic
solvents.

5. Protection ability against mildew. Not good and mildew damages the rayon fiber.

Difference Between Cotton & Viscose Fiber

  Cotton Viscose

Breathability Excellent Excellent

Care Machine washable Dry-clean only

or a delicate hand wash
Tendency to shrink
Easily damaged by water
Wrinkles easily

Durability Strong and durable Suffers a loss in durability when wet

gets stronger when wet

Hypoallergenic Yes No

Sustainability 100% cotton is biodegradable Biodegradable

The manufacturing process takes The manufacturing process uses toxic

a lot of water chemicals and lots of water

Texture Soft against the skin Looks like silk but feels like cotton.
Soft but can feel cold against the skin

Type of Fiber Natural Semi-synthetic

Conclusion
Regardless of which material you do end up choosing for your bed, you need to be
aware of the pros and cons of your choices available, as well as their properties.
Cotton lends itself very well to a multitude of conditions, but may not be right for you
if you’re concerned about budget and moisture issues.
Viscose fares well in the budget department while also feeling luxurious, but has a
larger negative impact on the environment and tends to be somewhat inconvenient
when cleaning. Both are used widely in bedding today, and being conscious of how
they perform can save you time and headaches.

The End