The textile industry is constantly evolving. Lyocell, or Tencel, currently appears to be the most important fabric for clothing, household, and industrial applications. Its many positive properties seem almost too good to be true. What makes this semi-synthetic fiber made from wood so special, and is investing in Lyocell really worthwhile?
Lyocell: An overview of the special features of the plant fiber
Lyocell is now found in many clothing, textiles, and bandages. Lyocell is usually sold under the brand name Tencel. Below, we've compiled the special properties that make these regenerative cellulose fibers so unique.
What is Lyocell or Tencel?
Lyocell is a semi-synthetic fiber. Although it is plant-based, synthetic substances are also incorporated into the manufacturing process to ensure a high-quality product. Wood serves as the basis for Lyocell and Tencel. Eucalyptus, spruce, pine, birch, and beech are the most commonly used wood species.
How is Lyocell made?
In the production of lyocell, wood is first shredded. These wood chips are then soaked. This causes the pulp to dissolve from the wood. This pulp is then mixed with water and a solvent and heated under a vacuum. In the next step, the water is removed from the mixture, creating a spinning solution. The spinning solution is filtered, pressed, and bathed to create fibers.
In the next step, the fibers are washed and dried so they can be spun into yarn. The lyocell fibers can then be woven and further processed.
What's special about Lyocell production is that it's a closed-loop process. More than 99 percent of the solvents and additives used are recycled and can therefore be reused. Furthermore, no byproducts are created during production.
What types of Lyocell are there?
Lyocell fibers are generally classified according to fiber density. Fiber density ranges from 0.9 dtex (very fine) to 15 dtex (very coarse). The unit "dtex" indicates how many grams the fabric weighs per 10,000 meters. Very fine Lyocell fibers therefore weigh 0.9 grams per 10,000 meters.
Depending on its thickness, the fabric is suitable for different uses and products. There are also Lyocell products that are blended fabrics. This means that other fibers such as cotton, polyester, or viscose have been added to benefit from the positive properties of both materials.
What Lyocell products are there?
Lyocell is now found in a wide variety of textiles, including:
- Sports and activewear
- Filling of duvets
- Mattress cover fabrics
- Duvet covers/bed linen
- underwear
- crease-free shirts and blouses
- Summer clothes (pants, dresses, T-shirts, etc.)
- dressing materials
- Conveyor belts
Who is Lyocell particularly suitable for?
Due to their many positive properties, Lyocell products are a good choice for most people.
People with dust allergies benefit from bedding made from lyocell, such as our lyocell bed linen , because the material is hypoallergenic. You can also wash the duvets at 60 degrees Celsius and tumble dry them. This kills bacteria and reliably removes dust mite droppings.
Clothing made from Lyocell/Tencel is ideal for summer. Because the cellulose fibers are breathable, you'll sweat less. Lyocell also feels cool and light against your skin.
Is Lyocell really sustainable?
The short answer is yes, Lyocell/Tencel is sustainable. First of all, the textile fiber is 100 percent biodegradable. In contrast, purely synthetic fibers often take 100 years or more to completely decompose. No byproducts are created during production that could harm the environment.
The production cycle is self-contained. This means that all additives, such as solvents, are recycled and can be reused again and again. The solvents used are non-toxic, meaning that if they do enter the environment, there will be no negative consequences for humans or nature.
The process described above for obtaining regenerative cellulose fibers is significantly faster than the production of pure synthetic fibers. Thanks to the simple, rapid processes, production consumes less water and less energy!
Sustainable forestry and wood used
Lenzing, the leading manufacturer of lyocell products sold as Tencel, is committed to sustainability. It sources its lyocell fibers from sustainable forestry, particularly from eucalyptus trees. These trees meet many criteria for environmentally friendly lyocell production: Eucalyptus trees can even thrive in areas no longer suitable for growing grain or other foodstuffs.
They are fast-growing and require neither regular watering nor the use of pesticides.
For comparison, cotton requires five times as much land as eucalyptus to produce the same amount of fabric.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of Lyocell products?
Each fabric used for textiles has different positive properties. While natural fibers are often better for the skin, synthetic fibers are considered extremely durable. Lyocell also offers specific advantages and disadvantages, which we have compiled for you below.
| Advantages |
|---|
| Depending on the fabric, machine washable and tumble dryable up to 60 degrees |
| durable and tear-resistant |
| Good warming and cooling properties, especially advantageous for bed linen made of Lyocell |
| High wearing comfort because the fabric is very soft |
| sustainable, vegan alternative to leather, wool and silk |
| Breathable fabric: prevents sweat odor |
| quick-drying, similar to cotton |
| versatile in its application through dyeing, preparation and further processing |
| Disadvantages |
|---|
| chemical treatment of a plant material to prevent pilling and preserve color fastness |
| higher price than other products due to high production costs |
Frequently asked questions about Lyocell
What is the difference between Lyocell and Tencel?
In short, there's no difference. While Lyocell is the name of the fabric, Tencel is the brand name under which market leader Lenzing markets the cellulose fiber. Therefore, you'll more often encounter the name Tencel when searching for Lyocell in stores.
Is Lyocell elastic?
Lyocell is one of the most stretchy fabrics currently available on the market. Not only is the material very elastic, it also doesn't stretch. This means that your Lyocell clothing retains its shape while still stretching smoothly.
How breathable is Lyocell?
Here, too, Lyocell is one of the most breathable fabrics currently available. This is one of the reasons why it's so suitable for sportswear.
Do you sweat with Lyocell?
No, if you wear Lyocell clothing or sleep under Lyocell bedding, you probably won't sweat, or at least you'll sweat much less. Lyocell/Tencel clothing also helps prevent unpleasant odors from developing.
Is Lyocell a microfiber?
Yes, Lyocell is considered a microfiber. The manufacturing process creates a microfiber made of cellulose that combines the positive properties mentioned above.
What is the best way to wash and care for Lyocell?
When caring for and washing lyocell, you need to differentiate between pure lyocell/Tencel and blended fabrics. Blended fabrics can often be machine washed at 60 degrees Celsius and then tumble dried. Pure lyocell products should be washed either by hand or at 30-40 degrees Celsius on an easy-care cycle. You can always find out whether your lyocell products can be tumble dried and what to look out for when washing them on the garment's care label. When ironing, turn your lyocell garments inside out and use a low heat setting.
