Viscose staple fiber
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.
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 recently established in business/economics,[6] media,[7] and published materials intended for end-users to include Lyocell and other man-made fibers of cellulose origin[lower-alpha 1] that do not go through the Viscose stage in production.
Viscose Staple Fiber is the group in pink. See the next Naming section for details.
Naming
'Rayon' is a name officially adopted by the textile industry in 1924, describing cellulosic man-made fibers.[8] 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, and pollution of water[9] and the environment caused by production plants during the 1960s to 1990s. This is why Modal (strong in repeated washings), Lyocell (production method is more environment-friendly), and other newer fiber and textile makers have strong resentment against 'Rayon' classification for the general public. In light of the demand growth for bio-degradable garments, the market needed an alternative to 'Rayon' name to describe this group of semi-synthetic fibers.
'Polynosic' is a scientifically correct alternative used in academia, but the market failed to accept this term, even in Europe, where the use of 'Viscose' was popular and 'Rayon' (originally meant "artificial silk") was not as commonly used as in the US and Canada. 'Staple' in viscose staple fiber describes short (or limited) length of underlying cellulose molecule [lower-alpha 2] in contrast to pure synthetic fibers. The market settled to use Viscose Staple Fiber as the alternative to include newer varieties, despite Lyocell not going through the Viscose stage in production (Modal does).[lower-alpha 3]
In other words, modern use of 'Rayon' in the market usually does not include Modal, Lyocell, and other newer products; "Viscose Staple Fiber" and 'VSF' do include them.
History
Georges Audemars of Lausanne invented "Rayon" (cellulose nitrate) 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 Rayon production. The market for the Rayon fabric grew throughout the 19th century up to the 1960s when purely synthetic nylon and polyester started taking over the world market.
The terminology "Viscose Staple Fiber" has a long history, almost as old as Coultauld's Limited started commercial production of artificial silk named Fibro, by revolutionizing production with the Viscose method. Official record appears in the Journal of the Textile Institute Proceedings article on a lecture given by H. Ashton[lower-alpha 4] of Coultauld's on 9 November 1934 in Manchester, England. The lecture was titled: "FIBRO"-VISCOSE STAPLE FIBRE PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING ON COTTON MACHINERY.[11]
In the late 20th century, 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[9] and the environment, and worker-health issues of the acid used in Viscose production method 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 million tons. By 2010, Viscose Staple Fiber production including Rayon, Modal and Lyocell increased to 3.5 million tons worldwide.[12] In 2018, it reached 3.97 million tons in China alone.[9]
Traits
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.[12]
See also
- 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
- ↑ Except ester forms of cellulose filament such as cellulose acetate, and Carboxymethyl cellulose fibers.
- ↑ A chain of several hundred to many thousands of glucose.
- ↑ So this is not a scientifically correct definition, but are used for the requirements in the market. Both Rayon and VSF are called 'synthetic' because they are man-made, but are more accurately described as 'semi-synthetic' because they are made from cellulose created by trees.
- ↑ Holding the title of Fellow of the Textile Institute, a chartered professional qualification by The Textile Institute.
References
- ↑ "What is Modal?". Lavender Hill. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
- ↑ Kay, Robert (30 April 2017). "Viscose vs. Modal vs. Lyocell - Difference?". Robert Owen Undershirts. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
- ↑ "Viscose Fiber Market Growth Analysis, Dynamics, Key Players and Innovations, Outlook and Forecast 2025-2032". IntelMarket Research. 20 November 2025. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
- ↑ "Viscose, Modal, & Lyocell Fiber Prices". 16 June 2026. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
- ↑ "Lenzing's advanced technologies transforming wood into better fibers". Lenzing AG. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
- ↑ "Viscose Staple Fiber Market". Fortune Business Insights. 26 June 2026. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
- ↑ "Viscose Staple Fibre Updates". Creamer Media's Engineering News.
- ↑ Smith, Joyce A. "Rayon - The Multi-Faceted Fiber". Archived from the original on 31 March 2010. Categories of Rayon is listed under Types of Rayon section on this reference.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 "Water footprint assessment of viscose staple fiber garments". Retrieved 19 July 2026.
- ↑ "Acetate Fabric & Viscose Fabric Information". NY Fashion Center. Archived from the original on 26 August 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
- ↑ Ashton, H. (1935). ""FIBRO"-VISCOSE STAPLE FIBRE PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING ON COTTON MACHINERY". Journal of the Textile Institute Proceedings. 26 (2): 16–21.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Viscose Staple Fiber, Manufacturing Processes, and Properties". Textile School. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
External links
This article "Viscose staple fiber" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Viscose staple fiber. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
.jpg){kind=link}
.svg){kind=link}
