The textile industry incorporates many different types of fabrics that are viable in manufacturing garments. Lyocell is a very popular fabric among these various materials. It features significant properties and functionalities.
This popular fabric is applicable in many aspects of the clothing industry. Knowing about lyocell fabric is very important for every person connected closely to the textile and apparel industry, especially business owners.
This is why I have created this guide that contains everything about this material to help you understand its practical uses and features. This blog incorporates insightful information about lyocell fabric that can be beneficial for you in terms of knowing its production and sourcing.
What is Lyocell Fabric?
Lyocell material is made of cellulose extracted from the pulp of wood from the eucalyptus trees. It can also come from other trees like bamboo, oak, and birches. It is a semi-synthetic fabric because it is a mixture of organic and synthetic materials. Lyocell material is known by some other names, which are TENCEL, Excel, Seacell, and Newcell.
The origin of lyocell fabric dates back to 1972, when an American Enka originally developed this iconic material. It became overly popular in the 20th century. It is very popular today and used as a substitute for silk or cotton.
What Is Lyocell Material Made Out Of?
Its foundation fiber is cellulose, which is an organic polymer extracted from the walls of plant cells, withdrawn from trees.
Let’s breakdown its production process and composition factors:
Production Process:
- Harvesting Wood: Woods are harvested from responsibly managed forests.
- Pulverizing Wood: The wood is cut into small chips.
- Extracting Cellulose: A non-toxic solvent (N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide, or NMMO) is used to treat the chips to dissolve the cellulose, developing a slurry-like solution.
- Fiber Formation: The solution is passed through the spinnerets to make fiber. These fibers are exposed to water to solidify them.
- Finishing: The fibers produced are then washed, dried, and processed into yarns.
What Is Lyocell Fabric Good For?
Lyocell characteristics include comfort and breathability, which is why it is known for making soft, ventilated, and comfortable clothes. Moreover, it is commonly used for:
- Casual garments, including t-shirts, dresses, pants, and shirts.
- Loungewear and underwear, including comfortable, relaxed, and intimate clothes.
- Activewear clothes include sports garments, stretchable leggings, and fitness tops.
- Summer wear, including moisture-wicking and lightweight apparel.
- Commercial use includes the production of durable conveyor belts that are resistant to wear and tear.
- Medical use includes the medical dressing for wounds and injuries.
What Are the Benefits of Lyocell Fabric?
- Comfort and Softness: Feels amazing against the skin as compared to bamboo or silk.
- High Absorbency: It absorbs moisture better than materials like cotton, making it ideal for activities that cause sweating.
- Breathable: Incorporates proper ventilation or air circulation to prevent overheating.
- Wrinkle Resistance: Soft and smooth texture that stays wrinkle-free.
- Durability: It withstands regular and rough use.
- Sustainability: It is made using eco-friendly manufacturing practices, which makes it a sustainable material.
Different Types of Lyocell Fabric
Basically, lyocell has only one type, considering its chemical composition. However, there are materials similar to lyocell due to their composition and properties. Let’s have a look at these similar fabrics:
Modal
Modal fabric was produced in 1950 in Japan. It is also a type of rayon, which is why it is called modal rayon. is much more tensile than any other cellulose material.
Creating it is simpler than viscose, which is why manufacturing companies prefer producing modal fabric more than viscose. However, this fabric is also beneficial in many ways.
Viscose Fabric
Viscose fabric is also called viscose rayon since it is from. It was the first cellulose material to become widely popular. It is produced all over the world. Different cellulose fabrics came and went before this material because of their flammability and impractical production process.
Moreover, producing viscose rayon is much more complicated than lyocell. Also, it is less environmentally friendly. It is cheaper than lyocell but not more preferred since lyocell is a technologically upgraded material.
Is Lyocell a Sustainable Fabric?
Lyocell is a sustainable fabric since it comes from a sustainable source, the eucalyptus trees that grow without any pesticides or fertilizers. They grow quickly and almost everywhere.
However, the sustainability of lyocell material also depends on its blending with other materials. As long as it isn’t mixed with synthetic materials like nylon or polyester, it stays sustainable or biodegradable.
Moreover, the production of lyocell fabric utilizes only non-toxic chemicals and results in minimal waste, which is why it doesn’t harm the environment.
The lyocell process recycles most of the solvent, which is why the chemicals are not dumped into the environment.
Rival Fabrics of Lyocell: Cotton and Polyester
There are two materials—cotton and polyester—that are dominating the textile industry. They are also considered the rivals of Lyocell due to their properties, popularity, cost, and practicality. Let’s shed some light on their rivalry:
Lyocell Vs. Cotton
Both materials have a natural source of production, but lyocell is more durable and breathable. It is soft and smooth as compared to cotton due to its closely woven fibers. Lyocell is easier to maintain because of its wrinkle resistance, reducing the time needed to iron it.
Due to having rich hydrophilic properties, lyocell is more moisture-wicking than cotton. Hence, this fabric keeps the body fresh and cool for a long time.
However, cotton is cheap and easy to produce, making it a better choice for production and usage than lyocell.
Lyocell Vs. Polyester
Polyester is a synthetic material made of plastic and petroleum-based compounds. On the other hand, lyocell is either organic fabric, if not blended with synthetic materials, or semi-synthetic material if blended with other synthetic fabrics.
Lyocell has a more premium look and feel than polyester, making it more costly than polyester. Lyocell is more breathable and absorbs moisture more than polyester.
However, the predictions about Lyocell are suggesting that this fabric is the fabric of the future, as it will gain more popularity in the coming years of technological advancements.
Where Do You Get Lyocell Fabric Clothes?
Manufacturing companies have high-quality materials, including lyocell, polyester, spandex, cotton, and many others. They cater to brands by making the finest-quality apparel.
If you are a brand or associated with any clothing companies, you should hire custom clothing manufacturers that can make garments made of Lyocell fabric. The best benefit you should get out of them is customized apparel according to your wishes.
Conclusion
Lyocell is a one-of-a-kind material that is widely used in many garment products. It is popular due to being a semi-synthetic fabric that keeps the environment protected from harmful chemicals. Its production process basically keeps the atmosphere and environment protected since it recycles the chemicals it uses and reuses them.
There are some obvious uses of lyocell fabric that you should consider while reading this blog. Moreover, I have written all the necessary things about Lyocell’s rival materials for you to understand their significance.
From definition to types and production, now you have everything you need to know about lyocell in this blog.
