Vinyon

Vinyon is a generic term for synthetic fiber made primarily from polyvinyl chloride.^[1][2] Vinyon fibers may also be called to as polyvinyl chloride fibers, especially outside the United States. It can bind non-woven fibers and fabrics. Its existence was known as early as 1937,^[3] and 1939 by the American Viscose Corporation had begun manufacturing a copolymer textile fiber made from vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate.^[4]

It has the same health problems associated with chlorinated polymers. In the past, Vinyon was used a substitute for plant-based filters in tea bags.

Vinyon fiber characteristics

As vinyon fiber is a generic term for copolymerized PVC fibers, properties will differ among different formulations. For modern vinyon fibers, the United States Federal Trade Commission sets its definition as a copolymer containing at least 85 % vinyl chloride by mass.^[1][2] Several sources note the fiber type for low melting points, thermoplastic behavior, and resistance to acids/bases and other chemicals though these are properties that will vary with specific fiber type.^[1][2][4][5]

History

Original fiber

In a 1940 description of vinyon, its structure was described as a linear copolymer of vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate with "high-molecular-weight" that could be stretched create yarns for textiles.^[4] It was noted that vinyl acetate acted as a plasticizer for the copolymer, preventing a need for small-molecule plasticizers in the final product. The polymer is soluble in acetone and could be spun into a fiber from solution.^[4]

As a thermoplastic material, vinyon could be used as a "staple" material in producing felts to bind other fiber types.^[4] As a chloride-containing polymer, it has a tendency to smoke and char rather than catch fire which made it useful for fire resistance when it was invented.^[4] Vinyon was noted for its resistance to caustic aqueous solutions, both acid and base, and was primarily used for industrial filtration shortly after its initial invention.^[4] It deteriorated more slowly in saltwater than other textile materials available at the time and thus found use in fishing nets.

Vinyon N

Vinyon N was developed by the Carbide and Carbon Chemicals Corporation to improve the properties of the original vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer. The invention was announced in 1947 and pilot production began in 1948.^[6]

The new copolymer used acrylonitrile in place of vinyl acetate. In the original formulation, vinyl chloride only formed 56-60 % of the polymer and would not be considered vinyon by later FTC definitions.^[1][5] Vinyon N fibers had a higher softening point than the original vinyl acetate based copolymers, and the manufacturer claimed superior resistance to solvent for Vinyon N.^[6] Staple fibers of vinyon N were commercialized in 1949 under the trademark Dynel and had begun to supersede the vinyl acetate copolymer by 1951.^[3] However, vinyon N was also more difficult to dye than the original vinyon making it difficult to use for textiles.^[7]

Uses

With a relatively low softening and melting point, vinyon found use as a bonding agent for non-woven fabrics and products.^[8]

In 1952, the use of vinyon N as a graft for arterial defects was explored by Arthur Voorhees.^[9][10] This early work has been cited as an important development in the field of synthetic arterial grafts, though vinyon N was replaced by improved synthetic polymers with time.^[10]

See also

• Textile

References

1. Sarkar Phyllis, Ajoy K.; Tortora, G.; Johnson, Ingrid (2021). The Fairchild Books Dictionary of Textiles. Fairchild Books. p. 516. ISBN 978-1-5013-6670-3.
2. Gooch, Jan W. (2011), Gooch, Jan W. (ed.), "Vinyon Fiber", Encyclopedic Dictionary of Polymers, New York, NY: Springer New York, pp. 796–796, doi:10.1007/978-1-4419-6247-8_12584, ISBN 978-1-4419-6246-1, retrieved 2025-11-30
3. Loasby, G. (1951). "THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SYNTHETIC FIBRES". Journal of the Textile Institute Proceedings. 42 (8): P411 – P441. doi:10.1080/19447015108663852. ISSN 1944-7019.
4. Bonnet, Frederic (1940). "Vinyon". Industrial & Engineering Chemistry. 32 (12): 1564–1567. doi:10.1021/ie50372a008. ISSN 0019-7866.
5. "Carbide Unveils Vinyon N Plant: A STAFF REPORT". Chemical & Engineering News Archive. 26 (11): 746–747. 1948-03-15. doi:10.1021/cen-v026n011.p746. ISSN 0009-2347.
6. Rugeley, E. W.; Feild, T. A.; Fremon, G. H. (September 1948). "Vinyon N Resin and Fibers". Industrial & Engineering Chemistry. 40 (9): 1724–1731. doi:10.1021/ie50465a027. ISSN 0019-7866.
7. Smith, Robert B. (1993). "Arthur B. Voorhees, Jr.: Pioneer vascular surgeon". Journal of Vascular Surgery. 18 (3): 341–348. doi:10.1016/0741-5214(93)90250-P.
8. Hutten, Irwin M. (2007). Handbook of nonwoven filter media (1st ed.). Oxford ; Burlington, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann. p. 24. ISBN 978-1-85617-441-1.
9. "The Arterial Prosthesis: Arthur Voorhees", A History of Vascular Surgery, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, pp. 119–128, 2005, doi:10.1002/9780470750773.ch11, ISBN 978-0-470-75077-3, retrieved 2025-11-30
10. Voorhees, Arthur B.; Jaretzki, Alfred; Blakemore, Arthur H. (1952). "THE USE OF TUBES CONSTRUCTED FROM VINYON "N" CLOTH IN BRIDGING ARTERIAL DEFECTS A PRELIMINARY REPORT:". Annals of Surgery. 135 (3): 332–336. doi:10.1097/00000658-195203000-00006. ISSN 0003-4932. PMC 1802338. PMID 14903863.