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How did the viscose process help make rayon widely available?

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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.

The viscose process helped make rayon widely available by providing a more practical and efficient alternative to earlier, problematic methods of production.

Early attempts to create man-made fibres, such as the nitrocellulose process developed by the comte de Chardonnet, were often slow, expensive, and potentially dangerous due to the use of highly flammable materials. In contrast, the viscose process—discovered in 1891 by British chemists Charles F. Cross, Edward J. Bevan, and Clayton Beadle—utilized a syrupy, liquid solution of cellulose xanthate dissolved in dilute sodium hydroxide.12

This method proved highly effective for commercial manufacturing. By 1905, the British firm Samuel Courtauld & Company began producing viscose rayon, and by 1911, the American Viscose Corporation had established production in the United States. The process remains the most common method for producing rayon today because it allows for the precise manipulation of filament properties—such as strength, lustre, and size—during manufacturing, making the fibre versatile enough for a wide range of applications, from apparel to industrial tire cord.12