Viscose

Definition

Viscose is the common name given to fabric and textiles processed from the cellulose fibres of wood pulp. The name viscose is derived from the chemically-based viscous solution from which the fibres are created. Viscose is currently the most commonly manufactured type of MMCF (Man-Made Cellulosic Fibre).

Production

The origins of viscose began in the search for an economical alternative to silk, and its first patented example was known as Chardonnet silk, named after French industrialist Hilaire de Chardonnet, who is said to have discovered the process in the 1890s while working with his colleague Louis Pasteur.¹ Although initially found to be highly flammable, they soon developed a safe variation, and by 1905 it was commercially produced as viscose or Rayon by textiles firm Courtaulds. In the first half of the 20th century, Courtaulds went on to establish the USA as the centre of viscose manufacturing. Today, China is the largest producer of viscose, accounting for around 65% of global production, with forests in Brazil, USA, Canada, Sweden and South Africa accounting for the majority of wood pulp production.²