History of Cellulose

As part of Industrial Revolution, Cellulose was the result of man’s endeavor to invent a cheaper substitute for expensive Silk Fiber. Cellulose was invented in 1884 in France. It was first manufactured for commercial uses in 1910 by Avtex Fibers Inc. in the United States. Initially it was marketed as “Artificial Silk”. However, the manufacturers didn’t find the word “artificial” very appealing from the marketing point of view. Hence, the name “Rayon” was adopted.

Viscose Process is one of the earliest and most commonly used production method today. It makes up the majority of Rayon used in clothing & textiles. Unlike most Man-Made Fibers, Rayon is not Synthetic. It is made from wood pulp, a cellulosic based raw material like Cotton, which is naturally-occurring, bio-degradable and renewable resource. Rayon’s properties are Eco-friendly and similar to those of natural cellulosic Fibers, such as cotton or linen, than those of thermoplastic, petroleum-based synthetic Fibers such as nylon or polyester.