I've got an 80's evening jacket which feels very much like soft velvet. The content label shows the fabric is made from 64% viscose, 34% cupro, 2% metal. The jacket is by Jean Claire for after five. So far I've found that cupro is the European cousin of Tencel®, which in turn is the registered trade name for Lyocell, a biodegradable fabric made from wood pulp cellulose. I've also found that cupro is similar to rayon so now I'm confused. :scratchchin: Is rayon the same as Tencel®? I'm interested if anyone has heard of cupro or can confirm whether the above information is correct. Here's the jacket and it's definitely European made. I've attached a close-up shot of the fabric around the button but it's black so it's difficult to see. The fabric is extremely soft to the touch with a thick pile, just like velvet. Oh, and if this isn't 'real' velvet, should I call it velveteen? :clueless: Thank you!
Well...rayon technically contains cellulose. It is not considered a "natural" product because the cellulose has to go through tons of processing and becomes something far from tree cellulose. However, rayon is not considered a true synthetic either. So perhaps it is akin to rayon in that its natural materials, just processed to death. Tencel is made from cellulose too as you have noted. It is probably just processed to death in a DIFFERENT way and that is what makes it Tencel and not Rayon. Maybe. I am no expert. Maybe Tencel degrades faster to be "earth friendlier" - good for recycling - bad for folks in 50 years who find it in gramdma's musty dusty basement I supposed. Though I would imagine that it needs more than that to start the process
It sounds like its probably cuprammonium rayon, which is one of the many processes used to make a variation of rayon, this one with copper sulphate and ammonia. Its the best quality rayon but also the most polluting to manufacture. I think there is still one factory in Italy still making cuprammonium rayon but its now illegal to make in the U.S.
I was just going to say that it is likely a form of cuprammonium rayon, and post this bit: Cupra fiber Rayon produced from pure cellulose dissolved in an ammonium solution of copper oxide. The process for making cuprammonium fibers was discovered in 1890 by Louis Despeissis in France. Two years later, a company in Germany began using the process to produce filaments for lightbulbs. However, cupro rayon was soon replaced by viscose rayon, and the process was not revived until 1919 by J.P. Bemberg. Cuprammonium rayon fibers are white, transparent and very silklike. It does not have striations or markings. Cupro is made into chiffons, satins, nets, and other sheer fabrics (Cook 1984).
Lovely jacket, Louise! Looks like you have the info on the type of fibers in this. As to whether it's "real" velvet.... Velvet can be made of different fibers--mostly silk or rayon, but there is cotton velvet as well. Velveteen is made of cotton (I don't think ever anything else), but it's noticeably different than velvet. It's cut shorter than velvet and usually isn't as soft. I would call your jacket "velvet."
Thank you Anne and Joules. I'm saving this thread in my faves. It's always good to refer back to. I've got lots of great information here. Thank you again.
Hi Louise. Modal, Cupro, Viscose and Lyocell/Tencell are different but very similar fibers in Rayon family. They are all made of regenerated cellulose but they are defined by their production method and/or source of cellulose. Cupro is made from cotton linter and the cellulose is processed with cooper oxide and ammonia. It has quite good physical properties but somehow is less popular as compared with other types of rayon.
