History of Viscose Rayon

• Viscose Rayon is the very first viable manufactured fiber and artificial silk fiber.
• In 1664, English naturalist Robert Hooke gave a theory that artificial silk filaments can be spun from a substance similar to that which silkworms utilize to make silk.
• Until 1885, scientists from all over the world tried to make artificial silk following Robert Hooke's theory but nobody succeeded.
• In 1885, Frenchman George Audemars was succeeded to some extent in making artificial silk thread by dipping a needle into viscous solution of mulberry bark pulp and gummy rubber but this process was hardly economically viable because of the requirement of great deal of skill and precision.
• In 1889, Hilaire de Berniguad produced first commercial synthetic fiber. It was patented in 1884 by him and was known as "Chardonnay Silk" but it also was not economically viable as it was very inflammable.
• In 1891, the English chemist Charles Frederick Cross and Edward John Bevan along their collaborator Clayton Beadle discovered "Viscose Process".
• In 1892, C. F. Cross and E. J. Bevan took out a British Patent no. 8700, "Improvements in Dissolving Cellulose and Allied Compounds" for Viscose that became the basis for the viscose and rayon industries.
• In 1893, the duo formed the "Viscose Syndicate" to grant licenses for "Viscose Process".
• In 1905, Courtaulds Ltd. USA produced the first commercial Viscose Rayon which was very first economically viable "Artificial Silk".