What is TENCEL™ ?
TENCEL™ is Lenzing’s flagship brand for textiles. Used for a variety of highly specialized applications, the benefits of TENCEL™ Lyocell and Modal fibers can be discerned instantly: Soft to the skin and smooth to the touch.
Which TENCEL™ fibers are there?
Lenzing offers three sustainable solutions under the premium brand name TENCEL™: TENCEL™ Lyocell, TENCEL™ Modal and TENCEL™ Lyocell Filament. Now you will find out how the individual fibers are produced, what properties they have and for which purposes they are used.
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TENCEL™ Lyocell
TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers are derived from controlled or certified wood sources using a unique resource-saving, closed loop production process – resulting in close-to-zero wastage. Unique physical properties lead to their high tenacity profile, efficient moisture control, and gentleness to the skin.
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TENCEL™ Modal
Derived from the natural raw material wood, TENCEL™ Modal fibers support long-lasting softness of textiles, which is retained even after repeated washing and drying cycles. TENCEL™ Modal fibers also support rich colors in fabrics.
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TENCEL™ Lyocell Filament
TENCEL™ LUXE is, just as silk, a fine and extremely strong filament. This makes the production of light weight, fluid fabrics with liquid like drape possible. The filaments are efficient in regulating moisture, creating breathability and adapting to the temperature on the skin.
Applications of TENCEL™
With their wide range of fiber types and blending options, TENCEL™ Lyocell and Modal fibers offer an almost endless variety of product designs and functions. Different finishings and constructions ranging from cool and silky touch to peach skin effects can be achieved.
Join us to take climate actions
A range of our TENCEL™ Lyocell and Modal fibers are ClimatePartner certified as part of a bespoke climate action plan. This action plan assesses the carbon footprint of our products, sets targets and implements measures to reduce emissions. Additionally, it supports verified climate projects, and fosters transparency down our supply chain.
Please find more information on our Climate-ID pages:
Are you a brand owner, designer or sourcing specialist and would like to know where you can purchase our fibers or fabrics made from TENCEL™ fibers?
Our partners
These partners rely on TENCEL™ branded fibers in their products.
REFIBRA™ technology – a contribution to the circular economy
TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers produced with REFIBRA™ technology use cotton textile waste as a raw material, in addition to wood. The fibers contain a minimum of 30% recycled material, which is sourced from pre- and post-consumer waste. These cotton scraps could have otherwise entered landfills or been incinerated. TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers produced with REFIBRA™ technology also meet the Recycled Claim Standard.
The reuse of waste materials represents an important contribution to the circular economy in the textile industry. In pioneering the usage of recycled content in the production of cellulosic fibers, Lenzing has applied its strong know-how to help the industry take a big step forward.
REFIBRA™ technology is not only built upon the highly efficient production processes of standard TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers, but also further cuts down the need for virgin raw materials.
TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers produced with REFIBRA™ technology are as white as standard TENCEL™ Lyocell.
Further technologies
By deploying various technologies, we already equip our TENCEL™ fibers with special properties during the production process. In addition to the REFIBRA™ technology, Lenzing also makes use of the following technologies as well: Micro, Eco Soft, Eco Color, Eco Filament, Eco Clean and Indigo Color. Find out what exactly makes these individual TENCEL™ technologies stand out.
Micro
Within Lenzing’s Lyocell and Modal fiber portfolios, the Micro technology provides an even finer fiber quality ensuring greater lightness and a unique softness. The yarns made of TENCEL™ fibers manufactured on the basis of the Micro technology are characterized by the particularly fine yarn thickness i.e., the so-called titer. The fine titer makes it possible to produce even lighter, flowing fabrics.
The TENCEL™ Modal x Micro Air fibers are the lightest wood-based fibers offered by Lenzing. The low titer of 0.8 makes these fibers particularly suited for the production of more luxurious fabrics.
For our TENCEL™ Modal x Micro Eco Clean fibers, we combine our Micro and Eco Clean technologies to bring together the best of both worlds. Thanks to the totally chlorine-free bleaching process for the pulp and the fibers, these fibers are endowed with enhanced softness.
In short, our Micro technology stands out due to the fibers being feather-light, featuring a natural and soft drape and processed into especially fine yarn.
Eco Soft
TENCEL™ Modal fibers are given an exquisite softness thanks to the Eco Soft technology. The Eco Soft technology is characterised by a chlorine-free, oxygen-based bleaching method within the context of an integrated pulp-to-fiber process. This boasts high recovery rates of process ingredients and generates very low emissions.
The chlorine-free bleaching and predominant use of renewable energies not only make the Eco Soft technology gentle to the skin but easy on the environment.
Eco Color
Lenzing fibers are generally manufactured in the color white. However, thanks to the Eco Color technology, we offer our customers the possibility to already dye the fibers during production. In the Eco Color Technology, environmental awareness goes hand in hand with long-lasting color fastness and design flexibility in textiles. The integration of dyeing in the production process significantly reduces the environmental impact. For example, this leads to energy and water savings of up to 50 percent. Moreover, the CO2 footprint is about 60 percent lower compared to conventionally dyed fabrics.
Furthermore, the dope dyeing process means the color pigments are deeply embedded in the fiber, ensuring long-last color brilliance, even after repeated washing.
Eco Filament
With the help of the Eco Filament technology, we are ushering in a new era of sustainable textiles for the premium luxury market. Compared to other technologies, the end product of the Eco Filament technology is not a staple fiber but filament yarn featuring a luxurious sheen.
The so-called TENCEL™ Luxe filaments are nearly of infinite length and give fabrics a silky-smooth feel and liquid-like drape perfectly suited for silhouettes. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the Eco Filament technology is mainly used for the production of fabrics in the luxury segment of the fashion industry. Last but not least, TENCEL™ Luxe filaments offer an outstanding color fastness enabling designers to express bold color palettes where creativity knows no boundaries.
In the Eco Filament technology, a luxurious look and the highest quality go hand in hand with a sustainable, resource-saving production method. Due to its minimal environmental impact, the closed-loop production process of the Eco Filament technology was given the “European Award for the Environment.”
Eco Clean
The Eco Clean technology involves the totally chlorine-free bleaching of pulp as well as the TENCEL™ Modal fibers. This approach makes the fibers considerably softer than conventionally bleached TENCEL™ Modal fibers. The environmentally friendly bleaching means that fibers produced with the Eco Clean technology are not only gentle to the skin but go easy on the environment.
Moreover, the Eco Clean technology is applied in combination with our Micro technology. In this way, the fibers are not only subject to environmentally compatible bleaching but are provided with an absolute lightness by the Micro technology.
Indigo Color
Using fewer resources, the Indigo Color technology features a one-step spun dyeing process giving TENCEL™ Modal fibers the characteristic indigo blue color. The direct incorporation of the indigo pigments provides the TENCEL™ Modal fibers with better color retention, even after frequent washing. Nevertheless, wash-down effects can naturally be achieved (if desired).
The Indigo Color technology’s one-step spun dyeing enables water, chemical and energy savings. In this way, it paves the way for a significant improvement in denim’s CO2 scorecard.
Our E-Branding Service
Are you already manufacturing fabrics and products with Lenzing fibers? Are you interested in ensuring greater transparency in the supply chain so that consumers can make an informed purchase decision? Our E-Branding Service will support you on this.
