author
C. F. (Charles Frederick) Cross
1855–1935
A British chemist whose work helped turn cellulose into new industrial materials, he is best remembered as a co-developer of viscose, the process behind rayon and later cellophane. His career linked laboratory chemistry with everyday manufacturing in a way that left a lasting mark on textiles and paper technology.
2 Audiobooks
A Text-book of Paper-making
by C. F. (Charles Frederick) Cross, E. J. (Edward John) Bevan
Researches on Cellulose, 1895-1900
by C. F. (Charles Frederick) Cross, E. J. (Edward John) Bevan
About the author
Born in Brentford, Middlesex, in 1855, Cross studied at King's College London, then spent time at Zürich and Owens College, Manchester. In 1885 he entered partnership with fellow chemist Edward John Bevan as an analytical and consulting chemist, and their work soon became closely tied to cellulose, papermaking, and industrial chemistry.
Cross is most strongly associated with the development of viscose. With Bevan, and later with Clayton Beadle, he helped patent the process in 1892, laying groundwork for the viscose rayon and cellophane industries. He also co-developed important work on cellulose acetate and published influential studies on cellulose, including the multi-volume Researches on Cellulose.
His contributions were widely recognized during his lifetime. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1917, received major honors from chemical and dyeing societies, and remained known as an important figure in the chemistry of cellulose until his death in Hove, Sussex, in 1935.