computer graphics: Processors and programs: VRML (virtual reality modeling language) is a graphics description language for World Wide Web applications. Several commercial and free packages provide extensive three-dimensional modeling capabilities for realistic graphics. More modest tools, offering only elementary two-dimensional graphics, are the “paint” programs commonly installed on home computers.

virtual sit-in, a tactic used by Internet activists to strongly inhibit or halt a Web site’s traffic. Conducted entirely online, the name virtual sit-in is drawn from the sit-ins that occurred during the civil rights movement in the United States, whose purpose was nonviolent civil disobedience.

cultural globalization: Challenges to national sovereignty and identity: …in theories of the “virtual state,” a new system of world politics that is said to reflect the essential chaos of 21st-century capitalism. In Out of Control (1994), author Kevin Kelly predicted that the Internet would gradually erode the power of governments to control citizens; advances in digital technology…

computer memory: Memory hierarchy: …systems spans these levels with virtual memory, a system that provides programs with large address spaces (addressable memory), which may exceed the actual RAM in the computer. Virtual memory gives each program a portion of main memory and stores the rest of its code and data on a hard disk,…

mechanics: The principle of virtual work: A special class of problems in mechanics involves systems in equilibrium. The problem is to find the configuration of the system, subject to whatever constraints there may be, when all forces are balanced. The body or system will be at rest (in the…

mechanics: The principle of virtual work: A special class of problems in mechanics involves systems in equilibrium. The problem is to find the configuration of the system, subject to whatever constraints there may be, when all forces are balanced. The body or system will be at rest (in the…

mechanics: The principle of virtual work: A special class of problems in mechanics involves systems in equilibrium. The problem is to find the configuration of the system, subject to whatever constraints there may be, when all forces are balanced. The body or system will be at rest (in the…

virtual reality (VR), the use of computer modeling and simulation that enables a person to interact with an artificial three-dimensional (3-D) visual or other sensory environment. VR applications immerse the user in a computer-generated environment that simulates reality through the use of

virtual reality: Entertainment: In 1990, Virtual World Entertainment opened the first BattleTech emporium in Chicago. Modeled loosely on the U.S. military’s SIMNET system of networked training simulators, BattleTech centres put players in individual “pods,” essentially cockpits that served as immersive, interactive consoles for both narrative and competitive game experiences. All…

goggles: …of goggles: the virtual reality headset. These goggles do not protect the eyes but rather block out light and provide a stereoscopic display that gives the impression of being three-dimensional.

ethics: …at happiness or at knowledge, virtue, or the creation of beautiful objects? If we choose happiness, will it be our own or the happiness of all? And what of the more particular questions that face us: is it right to be dishonest in a good cause? Can we justify living…

Edward Buzzell: …Big Timer, Hollywood Speaks, and Virtue, the last with Carole Lombard as a prostitute reformed by a taxicab driver (played by Pat O’Brien). Child of Manhattan and Ann Carver’s Profession (both 1933) were melodramas, while The Girl Friend (1935) was a musical starring Ann Sothern and Jack Haley. Buzzell then…

virtue, in philosophy, the conformity of life and conduct with the principles of morality. (Read Peter Singer’s Britannica entry on ethics.) An enumeration of four cardinal virtues is said to go back to Socrates and is certainly to be found in Plato and Aristotle. These are prudence, temperance,

virtue ethics, Approach to ethics that takes the notion of virtue (often conceived as excellence) as fundamental. Virtue ethics is primarily concerned with traits of character that are essential to human flourishing, not with the enumeration of duties. It falls somewhat outside the traditional

ethics: Ethical egoism: …Atlas Shrugged (1957) and in The Virtue of Selfishness (1965), a collection of essays, was a rather confusing mixture of appeals to self-interest and suggestions of the great benefits to society that would result from unfettered self-interested behaviour. Underlying this account was the tacit assumption that genuine self-interest cannot be…

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir: Virtue and Moir began skating together when they were aged seven and nine, respectively. Moir’s aunt, who was also his skating coach at the time, thought that the two similarly small, athletic children would make a good match on the ice, and the pair started…

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir are Canadian ice dancers who became the first North Americans to win the Olympic gold medal in ice dancing when they triumphed at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. The pair subsequently won a second Olympic gold medal at the 2018 Winter Games. Virtue and Moir

concerto: …forcing the soloist into a virtuoso’s role so that he can compete on an equal footing with his adversary, the orchestra. The dialogue, furthermore, influences not only the construction of individual musical phrases but also the musical textures chosen. In addition, it affects the ways of developing musical material (e.g.,…

Anita Loos: …producing their own films, notably A Virtuous Vamp (1919), The Perfect Woman (1920), Dangerous Business (1920), Polly of the Follies (1922), and Learning to Love (1925). They also wrote two books, Breaking Into the Movies (1919) and How to Write Photoplays (1921), and on her own Loos wrote two plays…

lokapāla: …Buddhist lokapālas are Dhṛtarāṣṭra (east), Virūḍhaka (south), and Virūpākṣa (west).

Lope de Vega: Works of Lope de Vega: …particular of the Valencian playwright Cristóbal de Virués (1550–1609) was obviously profound. Toward the end of his life, in El laurel de Apolo, Vega credits Virués with having, in his “famous tragedies,” laid the very foundations of the comedia. Virués’ five tragedies, written between 1579 and 1590, do indeed display…

bacteria: Bacteria in medicine: …continue to evolve, creating increasingly virulent strains and acquiring resistance to many antibiotics.

necrotizing fasciitis: …produce a variety of so-called virulence factors that permit them to evade the defense mechanisms of the host and thus cause disease. These factors include polysaccharide capsules and M proteins that impede phagocytosis, enzymes that degrade host tissues, and toxins that overstimulate the immune system, causing

bacteriophage: Life cycles of bacteriophages: …one of two life cycles, lytic (virulent) or lysogenic (temperate). Lytic phages take over the machinery of the cell to make phage components. They then destroy, or lyse, the cell, releasing new phage particles. Lysogenic phages incorporate their nucleic acid into the chromosome of the host cell and replicate with…

Virunga Mountains, volcanic range north of Lake Kivu in east-central Africa, extending about 50 miles (80 km) along the borders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. The range runs east-west, perpendicular to the rift valley in which lie Lakes Kivu and Edward. Of its eight

Virunga National Park, park in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa). Created in 1925, it has an area of some 3,050 square miles (7,900 square km) and contains a vast diversity of habitats. The park’s southern tip rests on the northern shore of Lake Kivu, a short distance from

lokapāla: Virūpākṣa (west).

South Asian arts: Medieval temple architecture: South Indian style of Karnataka: The Virūpākṣa at Pattadkal (c. 733–746) is the most imposing and elaborate temple in the South Indian manner. It is placed within an enclosure, to which access is through a gopura; and the superstructure, consisting of four stories, has a projection in the front, a feature…

India: Decentralization and loss of territory: The new ruler, Virupaksha (reigned 1465–85), had been a provincial governor. His usurpation was not accepted by many of the provincial governors on the east and west coasts or by the direct descendants of Mallikarjuna, who retired to the banks of the Kaveri and ruled much of the…

Virupaksha Temple, Hindu temple located in Hampi, an ancient village in Karnataka state in southern India. The temple was constructed in the 7th century CE and remains in use as a place of worship. Toward the south of the Indian peninsula, in a bowl of rocky granite terrain reined in by the

virus, infectious agent of small size and simple composition that can multiply only in living cells of animals, plants, or bacteria. The name is from a Latin word meaning “slimy liquid” or “poison.” The earliest indications of the biological nature of viruses came from studies in 1892 by the

virology: In 1935 tobacco mosaic virus became the first virus to be crystallized; in 1955 the poliomyelitis virus was crystallized. (A virus “crystal” consists of several thousand viruses and, because of its purity, is well suited for chemical studies.) Virology is a discipline of immediate interest because many human diseases,…

nucleic acid: Viral genomes: Many viruses use RNA for their genetic material. This is most prevalent among eukaryotic viruses, but a few prokaryotic RNA viruses are also known. Some common examples include polio, HIV, and influenza A H1N1, all of which affect humans, and tobacco mosaic virus,…

Bernard-Henri Lévy: …virus qui rend fou (2020; The Virus in the Age of Madness), Lévy examined the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on society.

computer virus, a portion of a computer program code that has been designed to furtively copy itself into other such codes or computer files. It is usually created by a prankster or vandal to effect a nonutilitarian result or to destroy data and program code or, in the case of ransomware, to extort

Viry-Châtillon, town, a southern suburb of Paris, Essonne département, Île-de-France région, north-central France, on the Seine River. It is a river port, with diversified manufactures, and has a 12th-century church and a château (now a seminary) with 17th-century gardens designed by André Le

Latvian literature: Edvarts Virza (pseudonym of Edvarts Lieknis) created lyrics in strict classical forms; his prose poem Straumēni (1933) praised the patriarchal farmstead. Lyrical emotionalism was disciplined in Jānis Jaunsudrabiņš, whose best novel was a trilogy, Aija, Atbalss, and Ziema. World War I provided many themes for…

Vis, island of Croatia in the Adriatic Sea. It is the outermost major island of the Dalmatian archipelago. The highest point on Vis is Mount Hum, at 1,926 feet (587 metres). Its climate and vegetation are Mediterranean and subtropical, with palms, Mediterranean pines, citrus, eucalyptus, cacti, and

Fish River, stream in southern Namibia. It rises in Namaqualand and flows south across the Great Namaqualand plateau, where it cuts a spectacular gorge 1,000 to 2,300 feet (300 to 700 m) deep, to empty into the Orange River. It is about 375 miles (600 km) long and is

credit card fraud: Background: …universal merchant acceptance was the BankAmeriCard, originally issued in 1958 by Bank of America. The card started in California but grew from there. In 1966, Bank of America expanded its bank card program by forming the BankAmeriCard Service Corporation, which licensed banks outside of California and allowed them to issue…

passport: …their borders to obtain a visa—i.e., an endorsement made on a passport by the proper authorities denoting that it has been examined and that the bearer may proceed. The visa permits the traveler to remain in a country for a specified period of time. By the late 20th century the…

Visa Inc. is an international payment card services corporation established in 1958. It provides a variety of financial services in more than 200 countries and territories through an estimated 14,500 financial institutions, and its branded credit, debit, and cash cards are accepted by more than 130

Agnès Varda: …Academy Award-nominated Visages villages (2017; Faces Places), in which Varda and artist JR travel throughout France, photographing various people they encounter.

South Asian arts: The theatre: Viśākhadatta, the author of a rare semi-historical play called Mudrārākṣasa (“Minister Rākṣasa and his Signet Ring”), apparently was a courtier at the Gupta court. His play is a dramatization of the Machiavellian political principles expounded in the book Artha-śāstra, by Kauṭilya, who appears as the…

Visakhapatnam, city and port, northeastern Andhra Pradesh state, southern India. It lies on a small embayment of the Bay of Bengal, about 380 miles (610 km) northeast of Chennai in Tamil Nadu state. Visakhapatnam is a major commercial and administrative centre with road, rail, and air connections.

Visakhapatnam: The Visakhapatnam Special Economic Zone is a more than 500-acre (200-hectare) free-trade zone at Duvvada, about 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Visakhapatnam, and is connected to the city by train. Pop. (2001) city, 982,904; urban agglom., 1,345,938; (2011) city, 1,237,963; urban agglom., 1,728,128.

Visalia, city, seat (1853) of Tulare county, south-central California, U.S. It lies on the Kaweah River delta in the San Joaquin Valley, 42 miles (68 km) southeast of Fresno. Founded in 1852 by Nathaniel Vise, it developed as an agricultural (olives, grapes, cotton) and livestock-shipping centre,

Visayan, any of three ethnolinguistic groups of the Philippines—Cebuano, Hiligaynon, and

Visayan Islands, island group, central Philippines. The Visayan group consists of seven large and several hundred smaller islands clustered around the Visayan, Samar, and Camotes seas. The seven main islands are Bohol, Cebu, Leyte, Masbate, Negros, Panay, and Samar. These islands and their smaller

Visayan Islands, island group, central Philippines. The Visayan group consists of seven large and several hundred smaller islands clustered around the Visayan, Samar, and Camotes seas. The seven main islands are Bohol, Cebu, Leyte, Masbate, Negros, Panay, and Samar. These islands and their smaller

petroleum refining: Visbreaking, thermal cracking, and coking: …residue were being processed in visbreakers or thermal cracking units. These simple process units basically consist of a large furnace that heats the feedstock to the range of 450 to 500 °C (840 to 930 °F) at an operating pressure of about 10 bars (1 MPa), or about 150 psi.…

petroleum refining: Visbreaking, thermal cracking, and coking: Since World War II the demand for light products (e.g., gasoline, jet, and diesel fuels) has grown, while the requirement for heavy industrial fuel oils has declined. Furthermore, many of the new sources of crude petroleum (California, Alaska, Venezuela, and…

Visby, city and capital of the län (county) of Gotland, southeastern Sweden. It lies on the northwest coast of the island of Gotland, in the Baltic Sea. Because of its remarkably well-preserved medieval ramparts and buildings, Visby, “the city of roses and ruins,” was designated a protected

Viscaceae, one of the mistletoe families of flowering plants of the sandalwood order (Santalales), including about 11 genera and more than 450 species of semiparasitic shrubs. This family is sometimes considered a subfamily of the sandalwood family (Santalaceae). Members of the Viscaceae are

viscacha, any of four species of slender yet fairly large South American rodents similar to chinchillas. They have short forelimbs, long hindlimbs, and a long, bushy tail. The soft fur is long and dense, and the soles of the feet have fleshy pads. The three species of mountain viscachas (genus

Latin American literature: Historiographies: …in 1791 by the Peruvian Juan Pablo Viscardo y Guzmán. It was published first in French (1799) and then in Spanish (1801). Viscardo claimed that rapacious adventurers had transformed a shining conquest of souls into the shame of the Spanish name and that Spanish rule was tyranny. His accusations went…

poultry processing: Evisceration and inspection: …is opened so that the viscera (internal organs) can be removed. Evisceration can be done either by hand (with knives) or by using complex, fully automated mechanical devices. Automated evisceration lines can operate at a rate of about 70 birds per minute. The equipment is cleaned (with relatively high levels…

human nervous system: Functional types of spinal nerves: ) General visceral afferent receptors are found in organs of the thorax, abdomen, and pelvis; their fibers convey, for example, pain information from the digestive tract. Both types of afferent fiber project centrally from cell bodies in dorsal-root ganglia.

branchial arch, one of the bony or cartilaginous curved bars on either side of the pharynx (throat) that support the gills of fishes and amphibians; also, a corresponding rudimentary ridge in the embryo of higher vertebrates, which in some species may form real but transitory gill slits. In the

limbic system, group of structures in the brain that governs emotions, motivation, olfaction (sense of smell), and behaviour. The limbic system is also involved in the formation of long-term memory. The structures of the limbic system are found deep inside the brain, immediately below the temporal

human nervous system: Functional types of spinal nerves: General visceral efferent fibers also arise from cell bodies located within the spinal cord, but they exit only at thoracic and upper lumbar levels or at sacral levels (more specifically, at levels T1–L2 and S2–S4). Fibers from T1–L2 enter the sympathetic trunk, where they either…

gastropod: The visceral hump: The visceral hump, or visceral mass, of gastropods is always contained within the shell; it generally holds the bulk of the digestive, reproductive, excretory, and respiratory systems. A significant part of the visceral hump consists of the mantle, or pallial, cavity. In…

kala-azar, infectious disease that is a type of leishmaniasis

muscle: Major types of vertebrate muscles: …the vertebrate musculature are the visceral musculature and the somatic musculature (the striated muscles of the body wall). Somatic musculature may be divided into appendicular, or limb, muscles and axial muscles. The axial muscles include the muscles of the tail, trunk, and eyeballs as well as a group of muscles…

autonomic nervous system, in vertebrates, the part of the nervous system that controls and regulates the internal organs without any conscious recognition or effort by the organism. The autonomic nervous system comprises two antagonistic sets of nerves, the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous

human cardiovascular system: Pericardium: …serous layer (visceral pericardium or epicardium).

human respiratory system: Gross anatomy: the parietal pleura and the visceral pleura, which are in direct continuity at the hilum. Depending on the subjacent structures, the parietal pleura can be subdivided into three portions: the mediastinal, costal, and diaphragmatic pleurae. The lung surfaces facing these pleural areas are named accordingly, since the shape of the…

human cardiovascular system: Pericardium: …serous layer (visceral pericardium or epicardium).

human skeleton: …is a third subdivision, the visceral, comprising the lower jaw, some elements of the upper jaw, and the branchial arches, including the hyoid bone.

mollusk: Evolution and paleontology: …and shell in the supraclass Visceroconcha, including the gastropods and the cephalopods; both share a posterior mantle cavity, lateral (or pleural) nerve cords medial to the dorsoventral musculature, and an antagonistic muscle system (see above Internal features: Muscles and tissues). The relation of the fossil order Bellerophontacea is controversial.

Vischer family, sculptors and brass founders working in Nürnberg in the 15th and 16th centuries. Hermann the Elder (d. January 13, 1488) established the foundry. His son Peter the Elder (1460–1529) was the most-celebrated member of the family, producing monumental brass work and bronze work that

Friedrich Theodor von Vischer was a German literary critic and aesthetician known for his efforts to create a theoretical basis for literary realism. Vischer’s theories of aesthetics, based on ideas of G.W.F. Hegel, began to develop while he was teaching at the University of Tübingen, where he had

Vischer family: His son Peter the Elder (1460–1529) was the most-celebrated member of the family, producing monumental brass work and bronze work that attracted patrons from as far off as Poland and Hungary.

orchid: Characteristic morphological features: …a sticky pad called a viscidium. In the most advanced genera a strap of nonsticky tissue from the column connects the pollinia to the viscidium. This band of tissue is called the stipe and should not be confused with the caudicles, which are derived from the anther. Orchids that have…

orchid: Characteristic morphological features: …a clear, sticky substance (viscin) in masses called pollinia. Two basic kinds of pollinia exist: one has soft, mealy packets bound together to a viscin core by viscin threads and is called sectile; the other kind ranges from soft, mealy pollinia, through more compact masses, to hard, waxlike pollinia;…

deformation and flow: Viscoelastic solids have molecules in which the load-deformation relationship is time-dependent. If a load is suddenly applied to such a material and then kept constant, the resulting deformation is not achieved immediately. Rather, the solid gradually deforms and attains its steady-state deformation only after a…

viscometer, instrument for measuring the viscosity (resistance to internal flow) of a fluid. In one version, the time taken for a given volume of fluid to flow through an opening is recorded. In the capillary tube viscometer, the pressure needed to force the fluid to flow at a specified rate

Visconti Family, Milanese family that dominated the history of northern Italy in the 14th and 15th centuries. Originating in the minor nobility, the family probably obtained the hereditary office of viscount of Milan early in the 11th century, transforming the title into a surname. The Visconti

Visconti Family: …was succeeded by his son Azzo (1302–39), peace was concluded with the pope (1329). A crisis created by Azzo’s death without heirs in 1339 was solved with the election of his uncles Luchino (1292–1349) and Giovanni (1290–1354), younger sons of Matteo I, as joint lords. Under their rule, territory lost…

Visconti Family: 1319–55) died, Bernabò (1323–85) and Galeazzo II (c. 1321–78) divided Milan and its territory, Bernabò taking the eastern area and Galeazzo II the western. Established at Pavia (south of Milan), Galeazzo II became a patron of artists and poets, including Petrarch, and founded the University of Pavia.…

Luchino Visconti was an Italian motion-picture director whose realistic treatment of individuals caught in the conflicts of modern society contributed significantly to the post-World War II revolution in Italian filmmaking and earned him the title of father of Neorealism. He also established

Italian literature: Opposing movements: …di Breme, Giovita Scalvini, and Ermes Visconti were among its contributors. Their efforts were silenced in 1820 when several of them were arrested by the Austrian police because of their liberal opinions; among them was Pellico, who later wrote a famous account of his experiences, Le mie prigioni (1832; My…

Visconti Family: His brother Filippo Maria (1392–1447), succeeding to the dukedom, managed, by marriage to the widow of the condottiere (mercenary captain) Facino Cane, to gain control of Cane’s troops and territories and gradually reconstructed the Visconti dominions. A neurotic recluse beset by bad health, Filippo Maria nevertheless succeeded…

Visconti Family: …in favour of his son Galeazzo I (c. 1277–1328), the dynasty consolidated its power, continuing its territorial expansion and concluding marriage alliances with the rulers of other Italian cities and with princely families of France, Germany, and Savoy. When Galeazzo I was succeeded by his son Azzo (1302–39), peace was…

Visconti Family: 1319–55) died, Bernabò (1323–85) and Galeazzo II (c. 1321–78) divided Milan and its territory, Bernabò taking the eastern area and Galeazzo II the western. Established at Pavia (south of Milan), Galeazzo II became a patron of artists and poets, including Petrarch, and founded the University of Pavia. Ruling independently, the…

Gian Galeazzo Visconti was a Milanese leader who brought the Visconti dynasty to the height of its power and almost succeeded in becoming the ruler of all northern Italy. The son of Galeazzo II Visconti, who shared the rule of Milan with his brother Bernabò, Gian Galeazzo was married in 1360 to

Visconti Family: …his uncles Luchino (1292–1349) and Giovanni (1290–1354), younger sons of Matteo I, as joint lords. Under their rule, territory lost during the struggle against the pope was regained, and the boundaries of the state were further extended. After Luchino’s death in 1349, the title of signore became hereditary. Giovanni Visconti,…

Visconti Family: …reign of his elder son, Giovanni Maria (1388–1412), under whom Gian Galeazzo’s conquests were lost and many Lombard cities reverted to local lords. Described by contemporaries as incompetent and morbidly cruel, perhaps insane, Giovanni Maria was assassinated by conspirators in 1412.

Louis-Tullius-Joachim Visconti was an Italian-born French designer of the tomb of Napoleon I. Visconti’s father, a celebrated Italian archaeologist, fled Rome with the boy in 1798. Visconti studied architecture with Charles Percier at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He was awarded a second grand

Visconti Family: …the election of his uncles Luchino (1292–1349) and Giovanni (1290–1354), younger sons of Matteo I, as joint lords. Under their rule, territory lost during the struggle against the pope was regained, and the boundaries of the state were further extended. After Luchino’s death in 1349, the title of signore became…

Luchino Visconti was an Italian motion-picture director whose realistic treatment of individuals caught in the conflicts of modern society contributed significantly to the post-World War II revolution in Italian filmmaking and earned him the title of father of Neorealism. He also established

Matteo I Visconti was the early head of the powerful dynasty of the Visconti, who for almost two centuries ruled Milan. Installed as captain of the people in 1287 with the help of his great-uncle Ottone Visconti, archbishop of Milan, Matteo succeeded in extending his six-month term to five years

Visconti Family: …Pope Urban IV, who appointed Ottone Visconti (1207–95) archbishop of Milan in 1262 to counterbalance the power of the ruling Della Torre family. Ottone defeated the Della Torre at the Battle of Desio (1277), claimed the old temporal powers of the archbishops of Milan, and gradually transferred authority to his…

Blessed Gregory X ; beatified Sept. 12, 1713feast days January 28, February 4) was the pope from 1271 to 1276, who reformed the assembly of cardinals that elects the pope. In 1270 he joined the future king Edward I of England on a crusade to the Holy Land. At St. Jean d’Acre in Palestine, he was

Blessed Gregory X ; beatified Sept. 12, 1713feast days January 28, February 4) was the pope from 1271 to 1276, who reformed the assembly of cardinals that elects the pope. In 1270 he joined the future king Edward I of England on a crusade to the Holy Land. At St. Jean d’Acre in Palestine, he was

Blessed Gregory X ; beatified Sept. 12, 1713feast days January 28, February 4) was the pope from 1271 to 1276, who reformed the assembly of cardinals that elects the pope. In 1270 he joined the future king Edward I of England on a crusade to the Holy Land. At St. Jean d’Acre in Palestine, he was

T. Rex: Glam rock success: Produced by Tony Visconti, who was known for his work with David Bowie, the album contained the hit “Get It On,” a glam rock classic that was the band’s first and only top 10 hit in the United States (under the title “Bang a Gong (Get It…

Emilio, marquis Visconti-Venosta was an Italian statesman whose political-diplomatic career of more than 50 years spanned Italian history from the Risorgimento to the power politics of World War I. A youthful participant in the revolutionary movement against Austrian rule that began in 1848,

cellophane: Bevan patented viscose, a solution of cellulose treated with caustic soda and carbon disulfide. Viscose is best known as the basis for the man-made fibre rayon, but in 1898 Charles H. Stearn was granted a British patent for producing films from the substance. It was not until…

dye: Fibre structure: …by the development of the viscose process, which produces regenerated cellulose with 300–400 glucose units. This semisynthetic cellulosic is rayon, which is very similar to cotton. The semisynthetic acetate rayon, produced by acetylation of chemical cellulose, has 200–300 glucose units with 75 percent of the hydroxyl groups converted to acetates.…