As you shop for underwear or bedding, you might notice “bamboo” on the care labels, sometimes labeled as bamboo viscose or bamboo rayon. So, what is bamboo viscose fabric? Is it a natural and non-toxic fabric?
In this blog, we will clarify these questions and provide a comprehensive understanding of bamboo viscose. Let’s get to know its advantages and disadvantages and compare it to other common fabrics.
What Is Bamboo Viscose Fabric?
This new type of cellulose fiber is derived from natural bamboo plants through a specialized chemical process. Bamboo viscose offers several advantages over traditional viscose fibers, making it a popular choice among environmentally conscious consumers.
What Is Bamboo Viscose Fabric Made of?
Bamboo viscose fabric is made from cellulose extracted from bamboo plants. Unlike traditional viscose fibers, which often rely on limited forest resources, bamboo grows rapidly.
Typically, it can be harvested just 2 to 3 years after planting, making it an abundant and sustainable resource. This short growth cycle highlights the importance of utilizing bamboo as a textile raw material.
How Is Bamboo Viscose Fabric Made?
Understanding what bamboo viscose fabric is begins with its complex production process.
- Initially, high-quality bamboo stalks are chosen, chopped into small pieces, cleaned, and screened.
- These pieces are then soaked in a solution to generate bamboo pulp and extract cellulose.
- The next step involves using sodium hydroxide to dissolve the cellulose, resulting in alkali cellulose without impurities.
- Then the alkali cellulose undergoes pressing, aging, xanthation, and ripening.
- After filtering, the viscose solution is ready to be squeezed through small spinnerets on the spinning machine and solidified in an acid coagulation bath, becoming raw fibers.
- Finally, the fibers are washed, dried, and stretched in preparation for spinning and weaving, ready to be transformed into fabric.
The Characteristics of Bamboo Viscose Fabric
Appearance and Feel
Bamboo viscose’s ultra-fine fibers create a smooth surface with a luster that mimics silk as an affordable alternative. This material is easy to dye, allowing for vibrant colors. It offers a cool and soft feel, providing comfort against the skin.
Breathability and Moisture-Wicking
The unique structure of bamboo fiber effectively absorbs moisture, facilitating quick evaporation, which makes it a breathable and comfortable fabric. This fabric is ideal for summer clothing, keeping wearers feeling cool and fresh.
Wrinkle Resistance
Its high elastic recovery rate means that bamboo viscose maintains its shape better than many other fibers, including traditional viscose.
UV Protection
bamboo viscose offers UV protection due to its natural UV-absorbing properties, with a low UV penetration rate(0.06%) that shields against harmful rays. (The UV penetration rate of cotton is 25%)
Antibacterial and Deodorizing
Bamboo viscose is effective against harmful bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli, minimizing unpleasant odors due to its specialized fiber structure.
Strength
bamboo fibers are known for their superior mechanical properties, providing remarkable strength whether in dry or wet states. Bamboo fibers outperform standard viscose and are even stronger than cotton and many other natural fibers.
Durability and Longevity
Though not as durable as traditional fabrics, bamboo viscose remains stronger than typical viscose options. Its smooth texture also minimizes friction, enhancing its abrasion resistance.
Environmental Impact
Bamboo forests provide an abundant raw material that grows rapidly, allowing for large-scale harvesting each year without depleting the resource. It also reduces the demand for wood sources used in traditional viscose production.
Besides, Bamboo-derived cellulose is a natural, renewable resource, reducing the demand for synthetic fibers that cause environmental impact and offering a more sustainable option.
The bamboo viscose fabric production process is designed to be environmentally friendly, avoiding the use of organic solvents and ensuring a non-polluting outcome.
In the end, bamboo viscose fabric is biodegradable, which means it will naturally decompose and return to the nature.
What is Bamboo Viscose Fabric Used for?
As an environmentally friendly fiber, bamboo viscose offers superior performance and versatility. Its applications span across apparel, medical and healthcare, as well as home textiles.
Bamboo viscose fabrics are favored for intimate wear like underwear and socks, owing to their moisture-wicking abilities, breathability, soft feel, and vibrant dyeing potential.
Bamboo viscose is commonly found in both knitted and woven textiles, often blended with cotton, silk, and wool to create unique fabric characteristics that enhance comfort and style.
Moreover, its antibacterial and skin-friendly nature makes it ideal for personal hygiene items, including pads and sanitary napkins, as well as medical products such as nurses’ gowns, surgical gowns, masks, and bandages.
In addition to these applications, bamboo viscose can also be used to make home textile products, including carpets, towels, bed sheets, comforters, curtains, and car seat cushions.
Care Guide for Bamboo Viscose Fabric
Bamboo viscose fabric requires careful handling due to its short fibers, which can lead to pilling. This fabric excels in moisture absorption, but it is also prone to shrinkage. To ensure longevity, it’s crucial to follow the care instructions provided on the label.
- Hand washing in lukewarm water is prioritized; while machine washing is possible, it should be done with caution.
- Avoid prolonged soaking or vigorous rubbing, and refrain from using the spinning cycle on the washing machine.
- After washing, air dry your bamboo viscose in a well-ventilated area, shielding it from direct sunlight and avoiding dryer use.
- When ironing, select the lowest heat setting or silk mode, and use a pressing cloth to prevent direct contact with the fabric.
Bamboo Viscose vs Cotton
Bamboo viscose fabric boasts a smooth and soft surface, enhanced by its silky sheen, providing vibrant colors and a cool, comfortable feel against the skin, making it perfect for summer months.
On the other hand, cotton has a more matte finish and lacks silky softness. However, cotton’s natural fibers make it a preferable option for sensitive skin. Additionally, its thicker, durable quality offers warmth, making cotton more suitable for fall and winter seasons.
Bamboo Viscose vs Rayon
Raw Material: Bamboo Viscose vs Rayon
Bamboo viscose and rayon are both semi-synthetic fibers derived from cellulose. The key difference lies in their sources; bamboo viscose is made from the cellulose found in bamboo, while rayon can come from various plant materials.
What Is the Difference Between Bamboo Viscose and Bamboo Rayon?
Now you may wonder what is bamboo rayon. Bamboo rayon refers to rayon made exclusively from bamboo cellulose. The processes used to manufacture bamboo viscose and bamboo rayon are quite similar, resulting in almost no differences between the two. Different regions may use different names for this kind of fabric, leading to the two terms being frequently used interchangeably.
FAQs About Bamboo Viscose Fabric
Is bamboo viscose fabric toxic?
Produced with non-toxic chemicals, bamboo viscose fabric is a safe option that will not lead to allergies or health issues.
Is bamboo viscose the same as 100% bamboo?
No, bamboo viscose is not the same as 100% bamboo, though bamboo viscose is sourced from 100% bamboo. Because 100% bamboo fabric includes several types, such as bamboo viscose, lyocell bamboo, and mechanically produced bamboo.
Is bamboo viscose itchy?
Bamboo viscose does not cause itching. Its smooth and soft surface makes it suitable for those with sensitive skin and ideal for intimate garments.
Is bamboo viscose good to sleep on?
Yes, bamboo viscose is highly recommended for bedding. It is soft, highly absorbent, and dries quickly, ensuring comfort and breathability, which can improve sleep quality.
Does bamboo viscose wrinkle easily?
Bamboo viscose may wrinkle more easily than cotton but offers greater wrinkle resistance than traditional viscose fabrics.
Conclusion
In summary, bamboo viscose fabric stands out due to its eco-friendly nature and luxurious softness, making it an ideal choice for various applications. As consumers become more environmentally aware, understanding such fabrics is essential. For more sustainable fabrics and products, we invite you to visit Sinosilk.
More Resources:
Bamboo Fabric vs Cotton – Source: Sinosilk
Bamboo Vs. Silk Pillowcase – Source: Sinosilk
Bamboo vs Silk Sheets – Source: Sinosilk