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How did Hilaire Bernigaud, comte de Chardonnet, produce the first commercially made rayon fibre?

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Figure 1: Three common polymer structures. The linear, branched, and network architectures are represented (from top), respectively, by high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), and phenol formaldehyde (PF). The chemical structure and molecular structure of highlighted regions are also shown.
man-made fibre Figure 1: Three common polymer structures. The linear, branched, and network architectures are represented (from top), respectively, by high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), and phenol formaldehyde (PF). The chemical structure and molecular structure of highlighted regions are also shown.

Hilaire Bernigaud, comte de Chardonnet, produced the first commercially made rayon fibre by utilizing a process based on cellulose nitrate.12

His production method involved the following steps:
* Extrusion: He forced a nitrocellulose solution through fine glass capillaries or spinnerettes.12
* Hardening: The emerging jets of liquid were hardened in warm air.2
* Reconversion: The fibres underwent chemical treatment to reconvert the material back into nonflammable cellulose.12

After obtaining a patent in 1884 and spending several years addressing the flammability of the substance, Chardonnet showcased his products at the 1889 Paris Exposition. In 1891, he opened a factory in Besançon, France, known as the Société de la Soie de Chardonnet, to begin commercial production of what became known as Chardonnet silk.12