Viscose fibre: Feedstocks
Why the pulp's forest origin is the big question
Why the pulp's forest origin is the big question What this tab covers What it is made from and what it feeds: the raw materials and energy per tonne with their share of cost (linked to the commodity table), who is low-cost and why, and the chemicals made from it.Viscose is made from about one tonne of dissolving pulp per tonne of fibre, plus caustic soda, sulphuric acid and carbon disulphide. Pulp is the largest cost and the main sustainability question, because it decides whether the fibre is linked to plantations, certified forests or ancient and endangered forests. Integration into pulp (Lenzing, Aditya Birla, Sateri) and into chlor-alkali (Grasim, Xinjiang Zhongtai) sets who is low cost.
Inputs per tonne
| Input | Quantity per tonne | Role | Share of cost | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tm Timber | about 1.0-1.05 t (indicative) | cellulose | about 45-55% of cash cost (indicative); Lenzing's average pulp sales price was €0.76/kg in 2025, down from €0.86/kg | Lenzing FY2025 presentation; indicative |
| NaCl Salt | about 0.5-0.7 t NaOH (indicative) | alkali cellulose and dissolving | about 10-15% (indicative) | caustic soda tile (rayon grade) |
| S Sulfur | about 0.6-1.0 t (indicative) | regeneration bath | about 3-5% (indicative) | sulphuric acid tile |
| S Sulfur | about 0.08-0.10 t net after recovery (indicative) | xanthation | about 3-5% (indicative) | indicative |
| Zn Zinc | about 0.01 t (indicative) | spin bath modifier | below 1% | indicative |
| Steam and electricity | energy about 70-106 GJ per t (Shen and Patel 2010 via Felgueiras et al. 2021) | process heat, evaporation, recovery | about 10-15% (indicative) | Felgueiras et al. 2021 |
Who is low-cost, and why
Chinese producers integrated with chlor-alkali and pulp imports set the floor for generic viscose. Grasim is competitive through its own caustic and group pulp mills (indicative). Lenzing is high cost in generic fibre and earns a premium on lyocell and specialty grades: its average price was $2.27/kg in 2025.