E10 : The semi-synthetic Viscose Rayon

1. Wood is chopped into small pieces and processed to form cellulose pulp

2. This pulp is steeped in caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) to form soda cellulose.

3. The alkali cellulose is shredded into "white crumbs" and allowed to age to reach a specific molecular weight.

4. The crumbs are treated with carbon disulfide, turning them into "yellow crumbs" of cellulose xanthate.

5. These yellow crumbs are dissolved in a dilute caustic solution to create the "viscose" solution—a thick, honey-like liquid.

6. The solution is filtered and forced through a device with tiny holes into a sulfuric acid bath.

7. The acid bath solidifies the liquid back into solid cellulose fibers.

8. The resulting fibers are washed, dried, and spun into yarn for weaving or knitting into fabric.

The Result ? You get a semi-synthetic fabric that mimics the properties of silk. Very smooth, very breathable and even moisture absorbent but at the same time viscose gets very week when wet, shrinking problem, pilling problem and highly flammable for some reason.