Viscose (CV)

What is viscose?

Viscose is an artificial fiber made from cellulose and is therefore also known as regenerated cellulose fiber. Their properties are very similar to those of cotton. It owes its name to its manufacturing process. The threads of viscose fiber are made from a tough mass, which is also called viscous.
Until 1924, the viscose fiber was still sold as artificial silk. From 1930 onwards, the name rayon became established; today we actually only know the fiber under the name viscose.

How is viscose made?

Cellulose is needed to produce viscose. These are obtained in a chemical process from the wood of beech, spruce, bamboo or eucalyptus. This pulp is then further processed until a tough mass (viscous) is created with the help of various chemicals such as caustic soda and carbon disulphide. This viscous liquid is then pressed through tiny spinnerets into a sulfuric acid spinning bath. The spinneret openings have an average diameter of 0.05 millimeters.
The finished spun viscose fibers can now be further processed. Before they can be sewn into a T-shirt, the individual fibers must be spun into a yarn and woven or knitted into a textile surface, a fabric or a knitted fabric.

Is viscose a natural or a synthetic fiber?

Viscose is semi-synthetic. This means that it can neither be clearly assigned to natural fibers such as cotton or silk, nor clearly to synthetic fibers such as polyamide or polyester.
Although viscose consists of cellulose, which is obtained from the wood of beech, spruce, bamboo or eucalyptus, it is further processed with chemicals such as caustic soda and carbon disulfide.

Is viscose environmentally friendly or harmful to the environment?

Viscose is based on cellulose, a renewable raw material, and no petroleum is required in its production and pesticides are largely avoided in cellulose cultivation.
So the problem is not with the raw materials or the cultivation, it is with the production. This requires a lot of energy and releases a large amount of chemicals in liquid and gaseous form. These chemicals, such as caustic soda or carbon disulphide, make the production of viscose very harmful to the environment. There are now also manufacturing processes, such as the Lyocell process, which use solvents that are non-toxic, produce few waste products and are therefore significantly less harmful to the environment. (The fibers of the EcoVero brand from Lenzing, for example, are viscose fibers that were produced in an environmentally conscious manner https://www.ecovero.com/de/ )
However, a big advantage of viscose fibers is that they are compostable. Unfortunately, in reality the fibers are rarely used in their pure form; viscose products are often made from mixtures with other fibers, which is why both compostability and recyclability are only possible to a limited extent.

Properties/use of viscose fibers

Viscose has very similar properties to cotton. However, because viscose is created through treatment with chemicals, its properties can be greatly influenced if necessary. For example, many clothing physiological properties can be determined by changing the cross-section of the fibers.
In contrast to cotton, viscose is easier to wash and generally easier to care for. You usually don't have to iron textiles made of viscose, it is pleasant on the skin, very soft and does not scratch. Viscose fabrics are also easy to dye, an important aspect in the fashion industry. Viscose can also absorb moisture better without feeling wet than cotton.
Because viscose absorbs moisture, it is particularly suitable for sports and work clothing. Viscose is often found in conjunction with cotton because the viscose improves the properties of cotton. For example, fabrics made from a blend of viscose and cotton are softer and therefore more comfortable to wear compared to fabrics made from 100% cotton.
100% viscose is often used for textiles that need to be loose and airy, such as blouses. But viscose is also a popular fiber for shiny linings.
Viscose fibers are not only found in the clothing industry; they are also used, for example, for cotton swabs, sponges, tea bags or paper for banknotes.

Alternatives to viscose

Instead of viscose, you can use more environmentally conscious alternatives such as modal or lyocell fibers. Although these fibers are classified as viscose, their production is more sustainable.

Modal fibers

A common name for modal is improved viscose . And you're not entirely wrong. Modal is produced using a modified viscose spinning process. The raw material for Modal is primarily our local beech. Compared to viscose fibers, modal fibers are softer, but at the same time more stable.

Lyocell fibers

Lyocell fibers are obtained from eucalyptus. No toxic solvents are required to produce Lyocell fibers. In addition, no toxic gases are produced and the wastewater can be returned to the water cycle as normal.

Tencel

The brand name Tencel covers Lyocell and Modal fibers from Lenzing ( https://www.tencel.com/de/about ). They are produced in an environmentally conscious manufacturing process and consist of the sustainably sourced natural raw material wood.