Rayon is a semi-synthetic fiber produced from polymers.
I do know a few things about Rayon. It is used in Shammy's, the ones you seen on TV. I believe that type is viscose Rayon which is the most common type made today. Although those shammy's are wound different, there are also different methods of making Rayon. I am well aware that Rayon is super absorbent, holding 10 times its own weight in liquid. And then some. You can also dry a one of these Shammy's after several uses and it looks and feels like cardboard.
Viscose Rayon is also flammable. Since it is flammable it also can - will go airborn. Which means it will be transferred into your lungs.
There is no way I am ever going to put Rayon in my lungs.
There are different kinds of Rayon but the most common is viscose. In making viscose Rayon, a chemical called carbon disulfide is used. At high levels carbon disulfide could be life threatening.
There also is no way of knowing wether the liver can process the chemicals and polymers in your body, from Rayon. IMO, it should not be used in wicking for safety reasons. Lyocell, another kind of Rayon, is made with some man made fibers. With Lyocell, " soap or silicone or other agent" is added to the product. Again, liver and blood functions beg questions. And there is no question Rayon was not designed to be consumed by the body.
From Jeremy in post 51 "Tencel - is lyocell , a new rayon produced with out environmental impact - or the stuff that doesn't matter that the rayon fear mongers talk about." Because Jeremy thinks so? The quote above is from Wikepidea which indicates man made fibers are in it, silicone and other "agent." No thanks. Silicone inflammatory hazards are well known, and "other agent" means you do not know what chemicals are processed. And even if Jeremy soft sells the agent used to treat RAyon, I am not going to trust my lungs to Jeremy.
Trees are involved in Rayon products and they are part of it. But this does not make it safe. Some nutritionists caution against certain types of tree extracts. You can buy a cocktail of stuff at a health food store and kill yourself. Tree bark, IMO, is especially unsafe. Some of the supplements even contain compounds which are used in cancer treatments. And I would stay away from anything that has bark or pulp wood involved. Some well known nutritionists even warn against certain types of compounds. I highly doubt any nutritionist worth there salt would recommend or even consider the idea of vaping rayon airborne. But TREES AT THIS POINT ARE A MUTE POINT. I think this stuff is unsafe.
If someone wants more vape and flavor there is a solution without Rayon and the risks. Buy an Aqua or a Fogger. For 25-30 bucks, it might save your life vs Rayon.
The sense of timing of this stuff is awful. With the FDA pondering cracking down, dont people realize that the tobacco industry has for years been under scrutiny by the FDA and others for what they have inside the cigarette filter? And that wasnt for burning cellose it was for using it as a filter. If this thread doesnt get shredded you could wreck us all, including your own health. If you end up with arteriosclerosis of your veins, dont blame me you have been warned. When a product like Rayon can dry like cardboard, when it enters your lungs it will go into your blood. If the liver cannot metabolize it, then excrete it, your stuck with it, in your body for the rest of your life. <<<<< I would put it in caps but you aint listening anyway.
Its also well known that cellulose (pure cotton) is not digested but passes harmlessly along the digestive tract. The assumption is that it also passes harmlessly along the respiratory tract. But it never will be under re-view as a harmful substance because it already is the gateway in the tobacco industry. Likewise, it probably remains the least harmful of all known substances available for vaping. But the body can process cellulose, Rayon, IMO, your body can't process it. The other substance silica wick remains a very viable secondary option. Its because Silica doesn't burn so that amount of silica that goes airborne at best is negligible. True silica can burn, but only at high temperatures if you put a torch to it.
What's next, shoe laces or sponges for wicking? Sponge actually makes more sense at least it is a naturally occurring substance. But there is no way that you can recommend it for wicking.
BTW, I put a lot of time into this, writing this up and looking into it. If you want to put it in a trash can, its your body to wreck. Silicone is also in some Rayon, and particularly noted to be in Lyocell Rayon. The hazards of Silicone and inflammatory problems are well known. And even if the company that makes Rayon recovers mostly all of the chemicals used to process it, they havent recovered it all, and those chemicals are going to go right into your arteries.
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