Production of Bamboo Viscose

 Fabric from the bamboo plant can be made using two different processes. The first is a mechanical retting process similar to that employed in making linen from the flax plant. In this method, bamboo is cut into strips, steamed, crushed, and soaked in an enzyme bath until the fibers separate. Then the fibers are carded, spun, and woven- much like cotton. Due to its cost, this process is rare for most bamboo fabric available in the market.

The most prevalent method of creating fabric from the bamboo plant is the viscose process - the same process that is used to make rayon. It takes bamboo plant pulp and extrudes it through mechanical spinnerets to make fiber. With technological advancements happening in the field, it is expected that it will soon be economically viable to make bamboo pulp through mechanical process without the use of chemical agents.