Viscose is the first man-made fiber, patented in the mid-1880s and known as ‘art silk’ in the early 20th Century. As viscose is made through the rayon process, it is also referred to as viscose rayon or just rayon. Viscose is derived from natural cellulose that typically comes from wood pulp of trees such as spruce, pine or eucalyptus, but waste cotton linters (short fibers from cotton plants) have also been used in making viscose. The cellulose is then chemically processed, using chemical solvents to obtain a solution that can be made into endless filament threads and spun into yarn. The viscose making process puts high demands on water use and it relies on numerous chemicals, such as sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), sodium sulphide, bleach or carbon disulphide, causing emissions that significantly contribute to air pollution. Potential contamination of local waterways by chemical effluents from the process is another key concern. Importantly, viscose production has also been linked with increasing the rates of deforestation. One of the ways of reducing the environmental impact of viscose production is therefore making sure that the wood used is grown and extracted under a certified responsible forestry program, e.g. Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), or through the Canopy initiative for viscose. Wood pulp for making viscose can also be obtained from fast-growing, lower-impact bamboo plants. Further improvements have been made in the process innovation, and since the late 1990s a new, regenerated cellulose fiber lyocell has been available on the market. The lyocell process (Tencel™) uses non-toxic solvents and enables recovery and re-use of most of the chemicals in a closed-loop manufacturing system.(1,2)
VISCOSE
