KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA NO : 1 NAVALBASE

KOCHI

CHEMISTRY INVESTIGATORY PROJECT 2023-24

TO PREPARE ARTIFICIAL SILK

FROM COTTON WOOL

submitted by: Neha sam

class: XII-B

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 CERTIFICATE

Certified to be the bonafide work done by

Ms. Neha Sam of class XII-B in the
during the year 2023-24 date

Kendriya Vidyalaya no : 1
Naval base
Kochi

Teacher’s signature:

Principal’s signature:

External examiner’s signature:

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I, Neha sam would like to express my

sincere gratitude to my chemistry teacher
for her support, guidance,
and encouragement during this project
which was vital in its completion. I would
also like to thank our chemistry lab
assistant for her help.

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 Index
Sr.no Title Pg.no
1 Aim
2 Introduction
3 Materials required
4 Procedure
5 Result
6 Precautions
7 Conclusion
8 Bibliography

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 AIM

To prepare artificial
silk from cotton wool

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 INTRODUCTION
Cellulose is a nature's own giant molecule. It is
the fibrous material that every plant from sea
weed to the sequoia makes by baking glucose
molecules in long chains. The chains are bound
together in the fibers that give plants their
shape and strength. Wood has now become the
main source of cellulose. Since it contains only
40% to 50% cellulose. The substance must be
extracted by 'pulping'. The logs are flaked and
then simmered in chemicals that dissolved the
tarry lignin, resins and minerals. The remaining
pulp about 93% cellulose is dried and rolled into
sheets ,raw material for paper, rayon and other
products. It can obtained in 2 ways:

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 1. Viscose process
cellulose is soaked in 30% caustic soda solution
for about 3 hours. The alkali solution is removed
and the product is treated with CS2 . This gives
cellulose xanthate, which is dissolved in NaOH
solution to give viscous solution. This is filtered
and forced through the spinneret into dilute
H2SO4 solutions, both of which harden the gum
like thread into rayon fibers. The process of
making viscose was discovered by c. F. Cross
and e. J. Bevan in1891.

2. Artificial silk (cupro)

Artificial silk is obtained by dissolving cotton
wool balls in a deep blue copper ammine
complex. The latter is obtained by dissolving
ammonia solution into copper (ii) carbonate
hydroxide. To it sulphuric acid (H2SO4) is added
and cupro, an artificial silk is obtained.

REACTIONS

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(GREEN)

(DEEP BLUE COLOUR)

Materials required
✓ Copper (ii) carbonate hydroxide
✓ Ammonia solution
✓ Cotton wool
✓ Glass beaker
✓ Syringe
✓ Sulphuric acid

PROCEDURE
1. Add copper (ii) carbonate hydroxide into a
beaker.

2. To the above beaker, add ammonia solution.

3. A deep blue copper ammine complex is

formed.
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 4. The solution is decanted into another glass
beaker in order to separate precipitate from
it.

5. Put some cotton wool ball in this glass

beaker. The cotton wool consists of cellulose.
6. Cellulose forms a complex with the copper
ions and dissolves because of this.

7. Suck the wool with the help of syringe.

8. The complex is added to a solution of

sulphuric acid with the help of syringe. In
an acidic medium, the cellulose regenerates
in the form of long fibres.

9. The copper – cellulose complex in the fibres

makes them blue.

10. When in an acidic medium, the complex

gradually breaks up and the fibres become
colourless.

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 11. Now, take out the artificial silk carefully
out of the beaker and place it on a watch
glass. At the same time, copper ions colour
the solution blue.

12. Cupro, an artificial silk also known as

'rayon' is made of fibres that are produced
this way.

RESULT
Rayon (Artificial silk) is prepared
from cotton wool

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 PRECAUTIONS

●do not touch any chemical with

hand as some of them may be
corrosive.
●do not use cracked glass apparatus
such as beakers.
●use a thick needle otherwise fibres
won't come out.
●the apparatus used for preparing
deep blue copper ammine complex
should be absolutely clean.
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●make sure that the needle of the
syringe is not clogged.
●never taste a chemical or place a
chemical on the palm of your hand.
●do not throw solid waste
material like wet cotton wool, test
tube pieces etc in the sink.

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 CONCLUSION

rayon has silk-like aesthetic with

superb drape and feel and retains its
rich brilliant colours. its cellulosic
base contributes many properties
similiar to those of cotton or any
other natural cellulosic fibres. rayon
is moisture absorbent, breathable,
comfortable, to wear and easily dyed
in vivid colours. rayon is comfortable,
soft to the skin and has moderate dry
strength and abrasion resistance.
like other cellulosic fibres, it is not
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resilient, which means it will
wrinkle. rayon withstands ironing
temperature slightly less than that of
cotton.

it may be attacked by termites, but

generally resists insect damage. one
of rayon's strengths is its versatility
and ability to blend easily with many
fibres – sometimes to reduce cost,
other times for luster, softness or
absorbency. because of excessive
flammability it is inspired the
flammable fabrics act. ffa enacted by
the u.s. depatment of commerce in
1953 in response to public concern
over a number of serious burn
accidents involving burshed ryon
high pile sweater (referred to us

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“torch sweater”) and could easily
catch fire.

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayon

https://edu.rsc.org/experiments/making-
rayon/1745.article#:~:text=In%20this%2
0experiment%2C%20students%20obser
ve,syringe%20to%20form%20rayon%20f
ibres.

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