Viscose fiber is the oldest man-made fiber and was first produced in 1883 as a cheap substitute for silk. Viscose production usually starts with wood pulp, and there are several chemistries and manufacturing techniques to make it.

Wood pulp (cellulose) used to produce viscose is mainly derived from trees such as beech, pine, and eucalyptus, as well as plants such as bamboo, soybeans, and sugarcane. These trees are known for rapid growth and regeneration.

Natural sources are limited to the beginning of the textile production process and then the very polluting manufacturing process, which is why fabrics are classified as semi-synthetic.

The process of making viscose is summarized in the following 4 steps:

1.The cellulose obtained from the wood is dissolved in chemicals to produce a substance similar to a brown wood pulp solution. The chemical involved in this process is carbon disulfide, which converts alkaline wood pulp into cellulose xanthate.

2.The solution is spun into fibers that can be made into threads. At this stage, chemicals are used again to make a solution called "viscose".

3.The machine used to manufacture filaments is called a spinneret. The viscous solution becomes regenerated cellulose.

4.The regenerated cellulose can then be woven or knitted into viscose fabric.

To make viscose fibers and make them durable for daily wear and washing, they must be chemically treated. The recycled wood pulp is treated with chemicals such as caustic soda, ammonia, acetone and sulfuric acid. Therefore, we have a Viscose fabric from natural and sustainable sources, but it is made with chemicals.