Old fibers get new spin from research: turning trees into textiles

摘要

The earliest and yet most common commercially manufactured fiber, rayon, is still produced by the viscose process from cellulose 100 years after its inception. Viscose production involves spinning fibers from a cellulosic solution and requires strict control of by-products formed at different stages, such as hydrogen sulfide. Thus, a major problem with viscose production is pollution. As legislation imposes tighter restrictions, viscose production has become more costly and can limit the economic viability of the process.