Viscose fibre: Overview
Why viscose drapes and breathes like cotton
What this tab covers What the chemical is, how big its market is, what it is used for (with shares, volumes, why it wins and what could replace it), and its chain from raw material to end user. Ends with three things to remember.Viscose is cellulose from dissolving wood pulp, dissolved as a xanthate with caustic soda and carbon disulphide and spun into an acid bath to form fibre. Man-made cellulosic fibres (MMCF) reached 8.4 Mt in 2024, 6% of all fibre, and viscose is about 80% of that (Textile Exchange, 2025). It drapes and breathes like cotton at a lower price. Its risks are forest sourcing and chemical pollution. Lyocell, made with a recycled solvent in a closed loop, is the cleaner route. India's Grasim (Birla Cellulose) is one of the world's largest producers, and China makes most of the rest.
Volume about 6.7 Mt viscose (2024, derived: 80% of 8.4 Mt MMCF); MMCF grew 6.4% in 2024 Market value about $12 billion for viscose (2024-2026, indicative, basis: 6.7 Mt x about $1,800/t; international CSF $1.64/kg in December 2024, China VSF CNY 14,700/t in October 2026) Growth MMCF expected to be the fastest-growing preferred-fibre segment to 2030 (Textile Exchange, no number given); about 4-6% a year (indicative) Textile Exchange Materials Market Report 2025 via Testex and Apparel Resources; Grasim Q3 FY2025; Cbonds viscose staple fibre (China) index, 23 Oct 2026; value indicativeKey uses
| Use | Share | Annual volume | Why this commodity | Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apparel (dresswear, knitwear, linings, blends with polyester and cotton) | 65% | about 4.4 Mtbasis | Viscose absorbs moisture like cotton (regain about 11-13%), drapes well and takes bright colours. In India, polyester-viscose blends are a staple of suiting and dress fabrics. indicative share | cotton polyester lyocell and modal |
| Nonwovens (wet wipes, hygiene, medical) | 15% | about 1.0 Mtbasis | Viscose is absorbent and biodegradable, which helps it win in flushable and plastic-free wipes as rules on single-use plastics tighten. indicative share | polyester and polypropylene nonwovens lyocell wood pulp airlaid |
| Home textiles (bedding, towels, upholstery) | 12% | about 0.8 Mtbasis | Soft hand and absorbency for sheets and towels, often blended with cotton. indicative share | cotton polyester microfibre |
| Industrial and specialty (tyre cord rayon, flame-retardant and speciality fibres) | 8% | about 0.5 Mtbasis | High-tenacity rayon is used in some tyres and technical textiles; flame-retardant viscose serves workwear. indicative share | polyester and nylon tyre cord aramids |
From raw material to user
- Forest or plantation Eucalyptus, beech, pine or bamboo; about 65-70% of MMCF uses FSC or PEFC certified raw materials (Textile Exchange, 2024).
- Dissolving wood pulp High-alpha cellulose pulp (above about 90%) by pre-hydrolysis kraft or acid sulphite; Lenzing produced 1,218 kt of pulp in 2025 (Lenzing).
- Alkali cellulose and xanthation Pulp is steeped in about 18% caustic soda, aged, then reacted with carbon disulphide to cellulose xanthate.
- Spinning Viscose dope is extruded into a sulphuric acid, sodium sulphate and zinc sulphate bath that regenerates cellulose; CS2 and H2S are released and should be recovered.
- Cutting, finishing, yarn Tow is cut to staple, washed, bleached and baled for spinning mills, or spun directly as filament yarn (VFY).
Made from (commodity table)
Tm TimberNaCl SaltS SulfurThree things to know
- MMCF were 8.4 Mt in 2024, 6% of world fibre, and only 1.1% (about 90 kt) came from recycled textiles (Textile Exchange).
- In Canopy's 2024 Hot Button ranking, producers rated green shirt or better supplied 53% of MMCF, and Aditya Birla, Lenzing and Tangshan Sanyou tied for first (ESG Dive).
- Grasim is adding 110 kt/yr of lyocell at Harihar, taking its lyocell capacity to 153 kt/yr; the first 55 kt is due by mid-2027 (Grasim).