TOOLBOX / FIBERS / VISCOSE

viscose / rayon / cupro.

Viscose and rayon are considered the same thing. Rayon made using the cuprammonium process is labeled as cupro.

Viscose is a manufactured, natural polymer, semi-synthetic cellulose fiber. It was first synthesized in France in the 1890s and is often described as artificial silk. It’s obtained by using eucalyptus, pine trees, spruce, cotton or bamboo.

Viscose is manufactured by making pulp consisting of cellulosic material and a cocktail of chemicals – of which are unknown. As a next step, the pulp is then pressed through spinnerets resulting in filament. The filament is put in sulfuric acid and then washed to get rid of salt and acidic residues. This process can have significant negative impacts on people, the environment, and biodiversity if not done responsibly.

The most common viscose-type production has high water and energy use and applies toxic chemicals that aren’t recovered or recycled and therefore endanger the worker’s health and pollute water and air irreparably. Furthermore, viscose production also contributes to the deforestation of already endangered forests. This whole process could be more sustainable through circular processing but unfortunately, this has not yet been successfully translated into actualization. Moreover, viscose production is still a very intransparent process making assurance of sustainability very difficult. Consequently making and using this fiber not sustainable.

+ PROS

what it gives.

  • is smooth and soft to touch
  • takes dyes on well
  • is breathable
  • absorbs moisture well

− CONS

what it asks.

  • tends to shrink
  • prone to wrinkles
  • doesn’t hold its intended shape well

ADVICE

what to look for.

If you are keen on using viscose, use FSC-certified viscose. But I’d strongly advise you to use a natural fiber instead.

SOURCES & FURTHER READING

where this comes from.

https://materialarchiv.ch/en?type=all&q=viscose

https://cfda.com/resources/materials-hub/materials-index/

Textilepedia, Fashionary International Ltd, 2020

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