Tencel and lyocell, two common regenerated fibers, are made from natural cellulose that has been chemically treated. They have the advantages of softness, skin-friendly, moisture absorption and breathability, and are widely used in clothing, home textiles and other fields. But, do you know what the difference is between them?Which one is more environmentally friendly?Today, we're going to demystify them and answer these questions for you.
Both Tencel and lyocell fibers are made from natural cellulose, usually extracted from wood pulp. However, the process of making them is different.
The process of making Tencel is like this:
The wood pulp is soaked in a sodium hydroxide solution to allow it to swell and separate the cellulose.
Cellulose is dissolved in an ammonium bicarbonate solution to form a viscous solution called viscose.
The viscose is extruded through a spinneret to form filaments, which are then cured in a sulfuric acid bath to obtain Tencel fibers.
The Tencel fibers are washed, bleached, dried, and finally wound into a cylinder that can be used for weaving.
Here's how lyocell fibers are made:
The wood pulp is soaked in a sodium hydroxide solution to allow it to swell and separate the cellulose.
Cellulose is dissolved in an ammonia oxide solution to form a viscous solution called a cellulose solution.
The cellulose solution is extruded through a spinneret to form filaments, which are then cured in a sulfuric acid bath to obtain lyocell fibers.
Lyocell fibers are washed, bleached, dried and finally wound into a cylinder that can be used in textiles.
As can be seen from the above process, the difference between Tencel and lyocell fibers is mainly due to the different solvents used to dissolve cellulose. Tencel uses an ammonium bicarbonate solution, whereas lyocell uses an ammonia oxide solution. The properties and effects of these two solvents are also different.
Tencel and lyocell fibers are both recycled fibers, and they both have certain environmental advantages compared to chemical fibers. However, if you want to compare their environmental performance, you also need to consider the resources consumed and the pollutants emitted during their production.
In the production process of TENCEL, the ammonium bicarbonate solution used is a solvent that is not easy to **, which will decompose into ammonia and carbon dioxide during the curing process, causing air pollution. Moreover, the curing process of Tencel requires a large amount of sulfuric acid, which will also produce a certain amount of wastewater and waste residue, which will pollute water resources and soil. As a result, the production process of TENCEL is not very environmentally friendly, and some measures need to be taken to reduce its environmental impact.
In the production of lyocell fibers, the ammonia oxide solution used is a solvent that can be used to cure the fiber, which does not decompose during the curing process, but can be reused by distillation and cooling. In this way, solvent consumption and emissions can be significantly reduced, saving resources and reducing pollution. Moreover, the curing process of lyocell fibers does not require sulfuric acid, but uses a non-toxic organic acid, which also avoids the production of harmful wastewater and residue. Therefore, the production process of lyocell fiber is quite environmentally friendly and is considered a green textile raw material.
The main difference between Tencel and lyocell fibers is that they use different solvents in the production process, which also leads to differences in their environmental performance. From the perspective of environmental protection, lyocell fiber is superior to Tencel fiber and is more in line with the concept of sustainable development.
Tencel and lyocell fibers are regenerated fibers made of natural cellulose after chemical treatment, which have the advantages of softness, skin-friendliness, moisture absorption and breathability, and are widely used in clothing, home textiles, medical and other fields. However, the process of making them is different, Tencel uses an ammonium bicarbonate solution, while lyocell uses an ammonia oxide solution. The properties and effects of these two solvents are also different, resulting in differences in their environmental performance. From the perspective of environmental protection, lyocell fiber is superior to Tencel fiber and is more in line with the concept of sustainable development.
If you have a deeper understanding of the difference between Tencel and lyocell, then you can make a more reasonable choice according to your preferences and needs when choosing clothing or home textiles.
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