Review of the Development of Usages for the Rayon Paper

Abstract

This paper presents the development of usages for rayon paper in Japan.It was not until 1936 that Egon Eloed received a German patent describing a 100% viscose rayon paper.Commercial production of viscose rayon paper and papers contaning vinylon fibers started about 1945 in the United States.In Japan, rayon papers contaning polyvinyl alcohol fibers had their origin in the fundamental work of Dr. Okamura and Inagaki in 1948. (Japan patent 241, 312) Commercial production of viscose rayon papers using polyvinyl alcohol fibers started about 1960. The output of viscose rayon fibers for paper amounted to over 6600 tons in 1967 as shown Table 2.The most important Japanese contribution by pioneer-minded Gunji Miki of Miki Specialty Paper Co. is noted.At first rayon paper had their end use applications established in the grade of shoji-gami on the market by G. Miki.Secondly, the end use of the rayon paper has succesively been developed in the form of facial tissue, sanitary napkings, wrapping papers, filter papers, paper mask, paper sheets, tea-bag type papers, disposable clothing, adhesive tapes and plastic overlay material, etc.