Lenzing fibers are used primarily for clothing, home textiles and hygiene products. Biological degradability is inherent to Lenzing fibers. This feature closes the cycle, with nature returning to nature. Lenzing fibers combine the biological properties of natural fibers with the processing advantages of mechanically produced fibers.
Lenzing lyocell fibers
The Lenzing Group is a leading global producer of lyocell fibers. The origin of all Lenzing fibers is cellulose, a component of the renewable natural raw material wood. Fiber production itself is particularly environmentally compatible thanks to closed loop recycling. More than 99 percent of the solvent used is recovered and recycled, making the Lenzing Group’s lyocell fibers the fibers of the future. This closed loop production process was recognized by the European Union with its European Award for the Environment. Products made of Lenzing lyocell fibers are more absorbent than cotton, softer than silk and cooler than linen. They are deployed in a wide range of applications that include sportswear, home textiles and mattresses as well as hygiene articles such as wet wipes and baby wipes. Lenzing lyocell fibers are marketed primarily under the TENCEL™ and VEOCEL™ brands.
Lenzing modal fibers
The Lenzing Group’s modal fibers are extracted from beech wood sourced in both Austria and its neighboring countries. Low fiber rigidity and modal cross-section make the fiber a natural softening agent. The softer the fiber, the finer the resultant textiles. Lenzing modal fibers can be blended with all types of fibers and processed using conventional machinery. Advantages such as mercerizability and uncomplicated processing make Lenzing modal fibers an all-round genius among cellulosic fibers. These fibers are marketed primarily under the TENCEL™ brand.
Lenzing viscose fibers
Lenzing has been producing classic viscose fiber for more than 80 years. Viscose fibers from the Lenzing Group are made from the renewable raw material wood. They absorb moisture well and are pleasant to wear. Lenzing viscose fibers are premium products on the global market and are used in clothing and hygiene articles. They are a preferred fiber brand for fashion clothing fabrics. In the hygiene sector, where purity and absorbency are ascribed top priority, they are utilized in products such as wipes, tampons and wound dressings.
Innovations and new products
Lenzing sets standards in the area of wood-based cellulose fibers with its quality and innovative strength and drives new developments in this area worldwide (read more about the sustainable innovations of the Lenzing Group in the chapter “Sustainable Innovations” of the Lenzing Group Sustainability Report 2021.
Carbon neutral TENCEL™ and VEOCEL™ fibers
Lenzing launched new carbon-neutral lyocell and modal fibers under the TENCEL™ brand for use in the textile industry, and introduced the first carbon neutral lyocell fibers for nonwovens under the VEOCEL™ brand in 2021. These products are certified as CarbonNeutral® products under the CarbonNeutral Protocol, the world’s leading carbon neutrality framework.
The fibers contribute to lower carbon emissions throughout the supply chain. The four main levers include energy savings, the utilization of renewable energy, new technology innovations and supplier engagement. These are intended to help achieve Lenzing’s long-term goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to zero.
LENZING™ ECOVERO™ viscose fibers and VEOCEL™ special fibers with Eco Care Technology
LENZING™ ECOVERO™ viscose fibers (for textiles) and VEOCEL™ specialty viscose fibers (for nonwovens) with Eco Care technology produce 50 percent less greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution than standard viscose.
TENCEL™ Modal with Eco Color Technology
Pigments are added to these fibers during production, helping to avoid conventional energy-intensive dyeing steps. A fabric made from this product has 60 percent fewer carbon emissions than conventionally dyed fabrics.
Lenzing fibers with recycled content – REFIBRA™ or Eco Cycle Technology
In line with Lenzing’s circular economy vision “We give waste a new life – every day,” the current generation of innovative fibers produced on a large industrial scale utilizes cutting scraps from cotton production, used textiles and wood from sustainably managed forests as raw materials. The cotton material is recycled into dissolving pulp that is blended (up to 30 percent) with wood-based dissolving pulp to produce high-quality lyocell fibers for textile and nonwoven applications. This technology saves tonnes of cuttings from cotton production and used textiles from disposal in landfills or incineration. They are manufactured with high resource efficiency. According to its own calculations, Lenzing fibers with recycled content require 95 percent less water for production than conventional cotton. For this reason, these fibers have a low environmental impact, such as in terms of land usage.
TENCEL™ Luxe Filament Yarn
Lyocell filaments under the TENCEL™ Luxe brand are set to become an important milestone for eco-couture fabrics in the premium luxury market. The closed loop manufacturing process for Lyocell fibers ensures minimal environmental impact thanks to low process water, energy and raw material consumption. TENCEL™ Luxe brand lyocell filaments are produced using Eco Filament technology, bypassing conventional spinning, which is energy-intensive and predominantly used in regions that depend mainly on fossil energy. For example, at sector level, spinning processes are responsible for 28 percent of the total carbon dioxide emissions from the textile value chain (excluding the utilization phase).
LENZING™ Web Technology
The LENZING™ Web Technology is an innovative R&D technology platform that enables the production of a wide range of novel sustainable nonwovens from the raw material wood. The patented nonwovens formation process, for which Lenzing holds more than 25 patent applications, starts with dissolving wood pulp and produces a nonwoven made of 100 percent Lyocell continuous fibers. This technology enables single-step fiber and nonwoven production and sets new standards in the cellulosic nonwovens area in terms of efficiency, the circular economy and environmental sustainability. The flexibility of this technology and its potential integration with other nonwoven technologies will enable the development of a wider range of new cellulosic materials and composite structures for high tech applications.
