Charles Frederick CrossDied 15 Apr 1935 at age 79 (born 11 Dec 1855).English chemist who, with Edward Bevan and Clayton Beadle, discovered cellulose could be produced (1891) by the dissolution of cellulose xanthate in dilute sodium hydroxide. Although cellulose had previously been made by others, this type of cellulose is the most popular type in use today. It was a syrupy yellow liquid. In 1892, Cross worked out a method for dissolving cellulose in carbon disulphide (producing a solution he called viscose) which could be squirted out of fine holes. As the solvent evaporated, a fine fibre was formed which became known as viscose rayon (or simply viscose). By 1908, the viscose was also used extruded through a narrow slit to produce thin, transparent sheets of cellophane. |
