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Draft:Viscose staple fiber

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  • Comment: The fact that there already exist Wikilinks to Rayon#Modal and Lyocell makes this page redundant. At most it should be merged into Rayon. Ldm1954 (talk) 20:58, 18 July 2026 (UTC)

Viscose Staple Fiber (VSF) is a category of semi-synthetic fibers that is made from cellulose naturally created by plants.

VSF is dyed easily into vivid colors

With the emergence of newer VSF products, including Modal[1] and Lyocell, most of the shortcomings of the older Rayon fibers, like shrincage, weakness againstt repeated washings, and heavy cost on environment have been overcome.[2] Demand increased for environmentally friendly bio-degradable garments, and VSF market has expanded to the highest level in recent years.[3][4]

Viscose fibers are produced from pulp, which is made by dissolving wood and other plants in solution; then it is chemically treated into liquid Viscose, which is processed into thin fiber and spun into yarn.[5] The end product is not 100% synthetic, but rather, 'regenerated' or semi-synthetic, because it is made from cellulose created by trees.

VSF naming is established in business/economics[6] and media[7] to include Lyocell and other man-made fibers of cellulose origin[a] that do not go through the Viscose stage in production.

Classification of textile fibers
Viscose Staple Fiber is the group in pink.   See the next Naming section for details.

Naming

[edit]

'Rayon' is a name officially adopted by the US textile industry in 1937,[9] describing cellulosic man-made fibers. Despite good traits such as low cost and a silk-like, smooth texture and appearance, Rayon suffered a negative reputation in the market due to shrinkage, health issues among workers,[10] and pollution of water[11] and the environment caused by production plants during the 1930s to 1990s.[12]

Because of the 1937 definition by the FTC (see History section for details), the term 'Rayon' was not only used on products and company names but also for the cellulosic fibers category, including Viscose,[b] Cupra/Cupro, cellulose acetate, Modal and Lyocell. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) decided not to include the name 'Rayon' in the names of man-made fibers in ISO 2076 in 1977, because "this (rayon) name, used generically for cellulose fibres in some countries, does not have the same meaning everywhere."[13] The industry and the market began to follow this standard.[c]

When a name is needed for the category (this time excluding the acetate fibers, as it had become a standard practice in the industry to categorize cellulose acetate fibers separately[8]), the old terminology "Viscose Staple Fiber" regained popularity.

History

[edit]
Picture taken at DuPont Experimental Station on 28 October 1937 in the early stages of research for Nylon production. Acele is a cellulose acetate fiber,[16] a DuPont product. Fiber 66 is then-unnamed newly invented Nylon, another DuPont product.

Georges Audemars [ca] of Lausanne invented Cellulose Nitrate Fibre in 1855 as one of the first synthetic fibers. However, the production method was too slow for mass production, and the material (nitrocellulose) was highly flammable. The material was switched to wood or cotton linter based cellulose and injection into an acid bath through fine nozzles, called spinnerets, made it economical for production.

The terminology "Viscose Staple Fiber" has a long history. In 1891, British scientists Charles Frederick Cross, Edward John Bevan, and Clayton Beadle found that wood pulp could be dissolved in a strong base[d] and treated by Carbon Disulfide into a viscous liquid,[e] which can be made into fibers in sulfuric acid, and named the liquid 'Viscose'.[18]

Coultauld's Limited acquired the patent and started large commercial production of artificial silk named Fibro in 1905, by revolutionizing production with the Viscose method.[19] Official record appears in the Journal of the Textile Institute Proceedings article on a lecture given by H. Ashton[f] of Coultauld's on 9 November 1934 in Manchester, England. The lecture was titled: "FIBRO"-VISCOSE STAPLE FIBRE PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING ON COTTON MACHINERY.[20]

In 1924, the National Retail Dry Goods Association of the US held a consumer competition to come up with the most attractive name for artificial silk, and the winner was 'Rayon', which was registered in 1925.[21][22] It was later in 1937 when the US Federal Trade Commission officially endorsed it by mandating the use of "Cuprammonium Rayon",[g] "Viscose Rayon" and "Acetate Rayon" names in trade.[9]

The market for Viscose[b] fiber and fabric grew throughout the 19th century and into the 1960s, when purely synthetic nylon and polyester began to take over the world market.

From the 1980s to 2010s, dual usage of 'Rayon' and "Viscose Staple Fiber" on the category often appeared.[24] At the same time, some British sources started using "Viscose Staple Fiber" exclusively.[25] And today, The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the US[26] and many other regulatory bodies in the world mandate the use of fiber names in ISO 2076 as revised in 2021.[27][h] See the titles of the references with recent publication dates in the References section below for recent examples of "Viscose Staple Fiber" usage.[28]

Going into the 2000s, production increased in China, India, Pakistan, and Southeast Asia, where a bulk of the market for hot-climate garments exists. However, it decreased significantly in Europe, Japan, and North America, due to pollution of water and the environment,[11] and worker-health issues of carbon disulfide and the acid used in the viscose production method[10] were expensive to remedy in the competition against purely synthetic fibers. The net result was that Rayon production decreased to 2.0 million tons in the year 2000, from a peak of about 2.6-2.8 million tons.[i] By 2010, Viscose Staple Fiber production including Viscose Rayon,[b] Modal and Lyocell increased to 3.5 million tons worldwide.[29] In 2018, it reached 3.97 million tons in China alone,[11] and exceeded 6 million tons globally in 2021.[30][31]

Traits

[edit]

VSF is biomass-based and is bio-degradable. It offers advantages over typical synthetic fibers, including moisture absorption, air permeability, and antistatic properties for comfort, as well as better dyeability for vibrant color.[29]

See also

[edit]
  • AkzoNobel -Dutch multinational company, acquired Courtaulds in 1998.
  • Teijin -Japanese multinational, acquired Akzo Nobel Fibres (including former Courtaulds) in 2000.
  • Lenzing AG -Austrian multinational, a European chemicals company with Modal and Lyocell production capacity.
  • Grasim Industries -Indian fibre/textiles company with large VSF production capacity.
  • Sateri -Chinese maker with large Viscose and Lyocell production capacity.
  • American Viscose Corporation -Defunct American division of Courtaulds.
  • Courtaulds -Defunct UK-based maker of Viscose and Acetate fibres, textiles and clothing.

Notes

[edit]
  1. ↑ Except ester forms of cellulose filament such as cellulose acetate (Diacetate) fibers,[8] and Carboxymethyl cellulose used in the finishing (sizing, dyeing, texture smoothing) stage in fabric production.
  2. 1 2 3 4 See definition 2 for this noun in "viscose". Merriam-Webster. 28 July 2026. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
  3. ↑ The EU followed suit on 27 September 2011,[14] and the US endorsed it by FTC on 18 February 2020 in a proposal to adopt ISO 2076 in the country.[15]
  4. ↑ called Caustic Soda then, Sodium hydroxide now
  5. ↑ Patented: British patent Nr.8,700, filed 7 May 1892.[17]
  6. ↑ Holding the title of Fellow of the Textile Institute, a chartered professional qualification by The Textile Institute. See Royal charter for their authority.
  7. ↑ Marketted as 'Cupra', 'Cupro' and 'Bemberg', with especially heavy environmental footprint in production. Produced exclusively by Asahi Kasei now, where advanced wastewater treatment infrastructure mitigates environmental risks.[23]
  8. ↑ In exchange for these mandates, ISO made concessions to allow "Other denominations" in the US, EU, Japan, and China. This allows the Rayon naming on Viscose[b] in the US and Japan only, on Lyocell and Modal in the US only.[27]
  9. ↑ Depends on the source.

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "What is Modal?". Lavender Hill. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  2. ↑ Kay, Robert (30 April 2017). "Viscose vs. Modal vs. Lyocell - Difference?". Robert Owen Undershirts. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  3. ↑ "Viscose Fiber Market Growth Analysis, Dynamics, Key Players and Innovations, Outlook and Forecast 2025-2032". IntelMarket Research. 20 November 2025. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  4. ↑ "Viscose, Modal, & Lyocell Fiber Prices". 16 June 2026. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  5. ↑ "Lenzing's advanced technologies transforming wood into better fibers". Lenzing AG. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  6. ↑ "Viscose Staple Fiber Market". Fortune Business Insights. 26 June 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  7. ↑ Burger, Schalk (7 May 2026). "Viscose Staple Fibre Updates". Creamer Media's Engineering News. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  8. 1 2 "F.T.C. Asked to Back Rayon, Acetate Split". The New York Times. 14 April 1951. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  9. 1 2 "Federal Trade Commission, Promulgation of trade practice rules" (PDF). Federal Register: 2696–2697. 27 October 1937.
  10. 1 2 Blanc, Paul David (6 September 2017). "Rayon, an Epidemic of Insanity, and the Woman Who Fought to Expose It". Undark magazine. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  11. 1 2 3 "Water footprint assessment of viscose staple fiber garments". Water Supply. (2021)21 (5). IWA Publishing. 11 February 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  12. ↑ Tonti, Lucianne (5 July 2022). Sundressed: Natural Fibres and the Future of Fashion. Schwartz Books Pty. Limited. ISBN 9781743822494.
  13. ↑ "Textiles — Man-made fibres — Generic names" (PDF) (4th ed.). International Organization for Standardization. 15 October 1999. p. 6. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  14. ↑ "REGULATION (EU) No 1007/2011 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL". European Union. 27 September 2011. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  15. ↑ "Rules and Regulations Under the Textile Fiber Products Identification Act -A Proposed Rule by the Federal Trade Commission on 02/18/2020". Federal Trade Commission. 18 February 2020. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
  16. ↑ "Acetate Fabric & Viscose Fabric Information". NY Fashion Center. Archived from the original on 26 August 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  17. ↑ "A Brief History of Regenerated Cellulosic Fibres". 4 October 2010. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  18. ↑ Jameson, Robert (6 October 2023). "What is Viscose Fabric? History, How & Where is Made". Fabric Fits. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  19. ↑ Juikar, Vishvajit (23 June 2024). "The History of Viscose Fiber: A Journey Through Time". Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  20. ↑ Ashton, H. (1935). ""FIBRO"-VISCOSE STAPLE FIBRE PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING ON COTTON MACHINERY". Journal of the Textile Institute Proceedings. 26 (2): 16–21.
  21. ↑ Kauffman, G.B. (1993). "Rayon:The first semi-synthetic fiber". Journal of Chemical Education. 70 (11): 887–893.
  22. ↑ "{Fabric of Time: Rayon} Part2: What's in a Name?". Tuppence Ha'penny. 12 June 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  23. ↑ "Exploring the History of Rayon in the Textile Industry". Hammer IMS. 26 April 2026. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  24. ↑ An example is Chen, J. (21 November 2014). "Chapter 4 - Synthetic Textile Fibers: Regenerated Cullulose Fibers". University of Texas at Austin. pp. 79–95. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  25. ↑ An example is Ajmera, Raneesh (16 May 2013). "Project Report on Viscose Staple Fiber". Standard Chartered. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  26. ↑ Tabor, April J. (18 February 2020). "Rules and Regulations Under the Textile Fiber Products Identification Act". Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  27. 1 2 "Textiles - Man-made fibres - Generic names" (PDF) (7th ed.). International Organization for Standardization. November 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  28. ↑ An example is "What is Viscose Staple Fiber (VSF)? Properties, Manufacturing, Applications & Sustainability". VNPOLYFIBER. 26 February 2021. p. 1. Retrieved 25 July 2026. viscose staple fiber—commonly known as rayon
  29. 1 2 Rathore, Aryan (8 February 2022). "Viscose Staple Fiber, Manufacturing Processes, and Properties". Textile School. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  30. ↑ "What is Viscose Staple Fiber (VSF)? Properties, Manufacturing, Applications & Sustainability". VNPOLYFIBER. 26 February 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
  31. ↑ "VISCOSE STAPLE FIBER MARKET SIZE & SHARE ANALYSIS - GROWTH TRENDS AND FORECAST (2026-2031)". Mordor Intelligence. 28 July 2026. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
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