Viscose

Viscose

Viscose is a viscous organic liquid [Answers.com Dictionary at http://www.answers.com/viscose?nafid=3 (n. A thick, golden-brown viscous solution of cellulose xanthate, used in the manufacture of rayon and cellophane.)] used to make rayon and cellophane. Cellulose from wood or cotton fibres is treated with sodium hydroxide, then mixed with carbon disulfide to form cellulose xanthate, which is dissolved in more sodium hydroxide. The resulting viscose is extruded into an acid bath either through a slit to make cellophane, or through a spinneret to make rayon. The acid converts the viscose back into cellulose.

Viscose was created by French scientist and industrialist Hilaire de Chardonnet (1838-1924), inventor of the first artificial textile fiber, "artificial silk") in Échirolles in 1891, then the process for manufacturing viscose was patented by three British scientists, Charles Frederick Cross, Edward John Bevan and Clayton Beadle, in 1902.

Industrial applications

Viscose was first used for coating fabrics, a purpose for which it is quite suitable. However, when Cross and his partners tried to make solid objects like umbrella handles they were found to be much too brittle.

Further development led to viscose being spun into thread for embroidery and trimmings. Eventually, after Samuel Courtauld & Co. had taken over in 1904, Viscose manufacture became big business. By the twenties and thirties it had almost completely replaced the traditional cotton and wool for women's stockings and underwear. Similar changes occurred in the US and in Europe, too. Viscose was also being used for linings and furnishing fabrics; providing the staple for towels and table-cloths and was being made into high tenacity yarn for tires. Yet other uses included the manufacture of sponges and absorbent cloths.

Making viscose film had been tried by Cross in the 1890s but it was in Switzerland and France that major successes were achieved. By 1913 C.T.A. established La Cellophane SA. Ten years later DuPont Cellophane Co. was set up in the USA and in 1935 British Cellophane Ltd was established in Bridgwater, Somerset.

Viscose is a soft material, used in mostly tops, coats and jackets.

Viscose is currently becoming less common because of the polluting effects of carbon disulfide and other by-products of the process, forcing the Bridgwater factory to close in 2005.

External links

* [http://www.plastiquarian.com/viscose.htm Plastiquarian.com brief on Viscose]
* [http://www.emergingtextiles.com/?q=idx&s=viscose_price/ Viscose Market]

References


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • viscose — [ viskoz ] n. f. • 1899; du rad. de visqueux et 1. ose ♦ Solution colloïdale de cellulose et de soude, qui donne des fibres de rayonne, de fibranne et aussi de la cellophane. ● viscose nom féminin (de visqueux et cellulose) Dérivé de la cellulose …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • viscose — [vis′kōs΄] adj. [LL viscosus: see VISCOUS] 1. VISCOUS 2. of, containing, or made of viscose n. 1. an amber colored, syruplike solution made by treating cellulose with sodium hydroxide and carbon disulfide: used in making rayon thread and fabrics …   English World dictionary

  • viscose — s. f. Celulose sódica empregada na preparação dos tecidos, no fabrico da seda artificial, ou, como sucedâneo da celuloide, no fabrico de brinquedos …   Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa

  • viscose — ► NOUN 1) a viscous orange brown solution obtained by treating cellulose with sodium hydroxide and carbon disulphide, used as the basis of manufacturing rayon and transparent cellulose film. 2) rayon fabric or fibre made from this. ORIGIN from… …   English terms dictionary

  • Viscose — Fabrication de la viscose à partir de la cellulose. La viscose, parfois appelée soie artificielle, est un textile végétal à la base, puis artificiel. Sommaire 1 Historique …   Wikipédia en Français

  • viscose — I. noun Etymology: obsolete viscose, adjective, viscous Date: 1896 1. a viscous golden brown solution made by treating cellulose with caustic alkali solution and carbon disulfide and used in making rayon and films of regenerated cellulose 2.… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • viscose — viskozė statusas T sritis chemija apibrėžtis Įprastinis iš tokio tirpalo pagaminto dirbtinio pluošto pavadinimas. atitikmenys: angl. viscose; viscose rayon; viscose silk rus. вискоза …   Chemijos terminų aiškinamasis žodynas

  • viscose — /vis kohs/, n. 1. a viscous solution prepared by treating cellulose with caustic soda and carbon bisulfide: used in manufacturing regenerated cellulose fibers, sheets, or tubes, as rayon or cellophane. 2. viscose rayon. adj. 3. of, pertaining to …   Universalium

  • viscose — [[t]vɪ̱skoʊs[/t]] N UNCOUNT: oft N n Viscose is a smooth artificial fabric. [mainly BRIT] ...a black viscose floral dress. (in AM, usually use rayon) …   English dictionary

  • viscose — vis•cose [[t]ˈvɪs koʊs[/t]] n. 1) chem. a viscous solution prepared by treating cellulose with caustic soda and carbon bisulfide: used in manufacturing regenerated cellulose fibers, sheets, or tubes, as rayon or cellophane 2) tex viscose rayon 3) …   From formal English to slang

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