Viscose fabric is made from wood pulp, most commonly sourced from eucalyptus, spruce, and pine trees. The wood cellulose is chemically dissolved and then regenerated into fibers, which is why viscose sits in an unusual middle ground: it starts as a natural plant material but requires heavy chemical processing to become a wearable textile. Bamboo and cotton can also serve as the raw cellulose source, though wood remains the industry standard.
From Tree to Fiber
The core ingredient in viscose is cellulose, the structural compound that makes plant cell walls rigid. To turn solid wood into soft, silky threads, manufacturers first chip the wood and cook it down into a pulp, isolating the cellulose from everything else in the wood.
That purified cellulose then goes through a multi-step chemical transformation. First, it’s soaked in a strong solution of caustic soda (sodium hydroxide), which converts it into a substance called alkali cellulose. This material is left to age, during which the long cellulose molecules break down into shorter, more manageable units. Next comes the step that gives viscose its name: the alkali cellulose is treated with carbon disulfide, turning it into an orange-yellow compound that dissolves in dilute caustic soda to form a thick, syrupy liquid. That viscous solution is the “viscose” itself.
The liquid is then forced through tiny holes in a device called a spinneret, producing fine streams that harden into solid fibers when they hit an acid bath. Those fibers are washed, dried, and spun into yarn ready for weaving or knitting. The entire process was first discovered by British chemists Charles Cross, Edward Bevan, and Clayton Beadle in 1891, and while the technology has been refined, the fundamental chemistry remains the same.
Why It Feels Like a Natural Fabric
Because viscose is rebuilt from plant cellulose rather than synthesized from petroleum, it shares many qualities with cotton. It breathes well, drapes smoothly, and absorbs moisture effectively. Viscose has a moisture regain of about 13%, compared to 8.5% for cotton, meaning it can absorb even more water relative to its weight. That high absorbency is why viscose feels cool against the skin and works well in warm weather clothing.
The tradeoff is durability when wet. Viscose fibers lose a significant portion of their strength once they absorb water, which is why viscose garments can stretch, shrink, or lose their shape in the wash. If you own viscose clothing, hand washing or using a gentle cycle with cold water will help it last longer. Wringing or twisting the fabric while wet is the fastest way to damage it.
Not Quite Natural, Not Quite Synthetic
Viscose is classified as a “semi-synthetic” or “regenerated cellulose” fiber. The raw material is natural, but the manufacturing process relies on industrial chemicals, particularly carbon disulfide, which is toxic to workers and the environment if not properly contained. Hydrogen sulfide gas is another byproduct. In conventional production, these chemicals can be released into the air and waterways surrounding factories.
Modern producers have made significant progress on this front. Lenzing, one of the world’s largest viscose manufacturers, operates a closed-loop system that recovers more than 99% of the carbon disulfide used in production, converting and recycling it back into the process rather than releasing it. Not all manufacturers meet this standard, though. The gap between best-practice and worst-practice viscose production is enormous.
The Forest Sourcing Question
Since viscose starts with trees, where those trees come from matters. The environmental group Canopy tracks major viscose producers worldwide and rates their sourcing practices, specifically whether they avoid harvesting from ancient and endangered forests. In their most recent assessment, 70% of all producers earned ratings indicating a commitment to responsible forest sourcing. Top-rated companies include Aditya Birla (which owns Birla Cellulose), Lenzing, and Tangshan Sanyou, all of which scored in the highest tier for low risk of sourcing from threatened forests.
If the environmental footprint of your clothing matters to you, checking whether a brand sources its viscose from one of these higher-rated producers is one of the more concrete things you can do. Many fashion brands now disclose their viscose suppliers as part of sustainability commitments.
How Viscose Compares to Similar Fabrics
Viscose is one member of a broader family called rayon. The term “rayon” covers any regenerated cellulose fiber, and viscose is the most common type. You’ll often see the two words used interchangeably on clothing labels, especially in the United States. Two related fabrics worth knowing about:
- Modal is made from the same basic ingredients as viscose but uses a slightly modified process that produces a stronger, more wash-resistant fiber. It’s often made from beech wood pulp.
- Lyocell (often sold under the brand name Tencel) uses a different solvent instead of carbon disulfide, making the production process less toxic. The solvent is almost entirely recovered and reused, giving lyocell a smaller chemical footprint than conventional viscose.
All three start with wood cellulose and end up as soft, breathable fabrics. The differences come down to which chemicals are used in processing and how the resulting fibers perform.
Biodegradability
One genuine advantage viscose has over polyester and other petroleum-based synthetics is that it breaks down naturally. In soil exposure studies, viscose fibers showed noticeable signs of degradation after 180 days, with visible surface erosion and roughening compared to their original smooth state. Cellulose mulch materials made from viscose-type fibers degraded within about six months under humid continental climate conditions, though the rate varies with temperature, moisture, and soil biology. By contrast, polyester can persist in the environment for decades. If a viscose garment eventually ends up in a landfill, it won’t linger the way a synthetic one will.