Manufacturing Process of Viscose Rayon

 Manufacturing Process of 

Viscose Rayon:

For making viscose rayon, wood chips or 

cotton linters are treated with chemicals 

to produce sheets of purified cellulose that 

resembles white blotters. This purified 

cellulose is soaked in caustic soda which 

produces sheets of alkali cellulose. These 

sheets are then broken up into fluffy white 

flakes or grains called cellulose crumbs. 

The crumbs are aged for 2-3 days under 

controlled temperature and humidity.

Liquid carbon disulphide is then added to 

these cellulose crumbs which turn it into 

a light orange substance called cellulose 

xanthate.

 The cellulose xanthate crumbs 

are then dissolved in a weak solution of 

caustic soda, which turns it to a thick vis-

cous solution resembling honey in colour and consistency. 

This thick solution is 

called viscose. The viscose is aged, fil-

tered and vacuum treated to remove the 

air bubbles present, as they may cause the filament to break.

 This treated viscose 

solution is then forced through the holes 

of a spinneret into sulphuric acid which 

coagulates the cellulose of the cellulose 

xanthate to form pure regenerated cellu-

lose filaments.