What is rayon made from?

Rayon is made from wood or cotton pulp. It is a manufactured fabric constructed out of cellulose extracted from the pulp. The cellulose is processed to obtain a material with a look and feel that is similar to silk.

Initially developed as an artificial silk, rayon is manufactured through a complex process out of natural ingredients. First, wood or cotton pulp is steeped and shredded to form cellulose crumbs. Carbon disulphide is added to the cellulose to create a chemical reaction. The resulting mixture ages, and over time, the cellulose fibers break down into a viscose solution. Undissolvable particles are filtered out of the mixture, and it is spun into rayon threads.