How to Dissolve Cotton

There are many ways that cotton can be dissolved. The method in this video uses Schweizer's Reagent.

Making Schweizer's reagent is simple and you will need a few chemicals:

1. 1.6g Sodium hydroxide
2. 5g Copper (II) sulfate pentahydrate or 3.2g anhydrous
3. 200mL Ammonium hydroxide (29%)
4. Cotton
5. 10% acid solution of HNO3, H2SO4, or HCl

Experiment

First step: Making copper hydroxide
Make a copper hydroxide solution using the 1.6g NaOH and add it to water with 5g copper (II) sulfate pentahydrate dissolved. Copper hydroxide will precipitate. Collect this precipitate by filtration or wait for the precipitate to settle and decant the liquid.

Second step: Making Schweizer's Reagent
Add 200mL of ammonium hydroxide to the copper hydroxide. The solution will become a dark black/blue/purple color. The reagent is now ready. 

Third step: Dissolving cotton and reconstitution as rayon
Slowly add about 2g of cotton to the solution and stir until it is fully dissolved. The cotton can then be reconstituted as rayon by introducing the viscous solution to a 10% acid solution of HNO3, H2SO4 or HCl