SPINNERET

also spelled Spinnerette, in the spinning of man-made fibre, small, thimble-shaped, metal nozzle having fine holes through which a spinning solution is forced to form a filament. The viscous or syrupy solution, prepared by melting or chemically dissolving raw material, emerges from the spinneret as long fibres that are then solidified by coagulation, evaporation, or cooling. Most spinnerets are made of stainless steel, but rayon production requires platinum. The size and shape of the spinneret holes determine the filament's cross-sectional shape. Each hole forms a single filament, and the combined filaments form filament yarn. The structure in spiders and silkworms through which silk is extruded is also called the spinneret.