I read in wikipedia that cellulose can be dissolved in caustic soda, then squeezed to make a white crumb, this crumb is aged by exposure to oxygen then mixed in carbon disulfide to make yellow crumb. When this yellow crumb is dissolved in caustic solution, it will become viscose rayon to be extruded.
Anna B
Favorite Answer
Seems more or less true.
Cotton is pure cellulose and you can change cellulose into viscose by mentioned chemical reactions.
But viscose is not cellulose, though they have similar molecules. Besides cotton is a structure (the plant cell walls) of cellulose.
You can certainly recycle cotton into a rayon shirt but never back into another cotton shirt .
Anonymous
Yes,cotton T shirts have Cellulose & it can be recycled.