Lyocell and Tencel G100, A100, and LF: What’s the Relationship?

1. Basic Concept of Lyocell Fiber

Since the first large-scale Lyocell production line started in Mobile, Alabama, in 1992, Lyocell has been in mass production for nearly 30 years. About 20 years ago, it entered the Chinese market under the name Tencel, and users quickly accepted it.

Lyocell is a high wet modulus regenerated cellulose fiber made by dissolving cellulose in an aqueous solution of N-methylmorpholine N-oxide (NMMO) and then spinning it into fiber. Manufacturers usually use natural wood pulp as the raw material. Most importantly, the NMMO solution can be almost completely recovered. As a result, the production process is short, efficient, environmentally friendly, and low carbon. Lyocell is also naturally biodegradable, so people call it a green fiber of the 21st century. The International Bureau for the Standardization of Fibers (BISFA) defines its generic name.

2. Why Lyocell Performs So Well

Lyocell has a high wet modulus, low shrinkage, and strong tensile strength. Its dry strength is close to polyester and much higher than cotton. Its wet strength reaches almost 90% of its dry strength, which is far above ordinary viscose. It also has a high moisture regain, and its overall performance is better than common viscose and modal. Few other cellulose fibers can match it.

Its chemical composition, dyeability, and thermal properties are similar to cotton. At the same time, it offers excellent moisture absorption, breathability, skin comfort, and antibacterial performance. It also has a soft luster and keeps the natural comfort of cellulose fibers.

Lyocell appears white, and its cross-section is round. Its relative density is 1.5, and its moisture regain is 11%. It also has a unique fibrillation property. When the fiber stays wet and receives mechanical stress, it splits along the fiber axis into fibrils. In a wet state, its volume can expand by 40%. It also spins well and blends easily with cotton, wool, silk, hemp, and synthetic fibers.

Lyocell staple fiber comes in linear densities of 1.4 dtex, 1.7 dtex, 2.4 dtex, and 3.3 dtex. The average staple lengths are 38 mm, 51 mm, 60 mm, and 80 mm. These specifications make it suitable for staple spinning and wool-type spinning.

3. Wide Applications of Lyocell

Lyocell has broad potential in apparel, home textiles, and industrial textiles.

As a comfort-focused fiber, Lyocell improves softness, comfort, drape, and flow. Therefore, the apparel sector uses it widely in premium shirts, high-end women’s suits, luxury denim, fine fashion fabrics, underwear, sportswear, knitted casualwear, wool-like fabrics, heavy twill workwear, plush garments, and everyday clothing.

Its many performance advantages also make it ideal for home textiles, such as mattresses, sheets, duvet covers, pillowcases, blankets, towels, bathroom products, loungewear, sofa covers, cushions, fillings, toys, and decorative items.

Lyocell also serves many industrial textile applications. For example, spunlace nonwovens made from highly fibrillated Lyocell fibers, or from blends with other fibers, can be used in wet wipes, diapers, beauty masks, high-strength and moisture-permeable base fabrics for artificial leather and suede, disk liners, filtration fabrics, and covering materials.

Lyocell can also go into specialty paper, such as capacitor paper, battery separators, and stencil wax paper.

4. The Relationship Between Lyocell and Tencel

Tencel is the trademark for Lyocell fiber produced by Lenzing. In other words, only Lenzing’s Lyocell can be called Tencel.

Lenzing Tencel comes in three specifications: G100, A100, and LF.

Tencel G100

The process for G100 is: wood pulp, NMMO dissolution, filtration, spinning, coagulation bath, washing, drying, crimping, and cutting into staple fiber.

People usually call it the standard type of Tencel. It has very strong moisture swelling, especially in the radial direction, with a swelling rate as high as 40% to 70%. When the fiber swells in water, hydrogen bonds and other intermolecular forces in the axial direction break apart. If the fiber then receives mechanical action, it splits along the axis and forms longer fibrils. Because standard G100 fibrillates easily, mills can process it into fabrics with a peach-skin finish.

Tencel A100

The process for A100 is: undried fiber tow, crosslinking treatment, high-temperature baking, washing, drying, and crimping.

People usually call it crosslinked Tencel. In this type, the hydroxyl groups in cellulose react with a crosslinking agent that contains three reactive groups. This creates crosslinks between cellulose molecules and reduces the fibrillation tendency of Lyocell. As a result, mills can produce smooth fabrics, and the material does not pill easily during wear.

Tencel LF

Tencel LF sits between G100 and A100. Compared with standard Lyocell, it has a lower degree of fibrillation. As a result, it feels very similar to cotton, but its fiber properties perform better. It also has natural crimp, so it shows the natural characteristics of textiles. With ultra-fine Tencel LF, manufacturers can produce skin-friendly textiles such as pajamas, underwear, short socks, and knee-high socks.

5. Conclusion

Lyocell is moving forward quickly, and it will not take long before the industry reaches a much larger scale of use and a higher level of application. Companies across the supply chain should feel confident about it.

Lyocell is the fiber of the future, and the future is already here.