The Production Process
The Production Process
Chips of hardwood like oak or birch are used as the raw materials for the cellulose that is used in this fabric. The trees used for these purposes are usually grown on managed tree farms. Once the trees arrive at a Tencel production facility, they are broken down into chips and loaded into a vat of chemical digesters, which soften the chips into pulp.
This pulp is then washed in water, and bleach may also be used to sanitize it. Next, it is dried in a sheet, and it is rolled into spools. Most cellulose rolls are enormous and weigh about 500 pounds.
These sheets are then broken into squares measuring approximately one inch across, and these squares are placed in pressurized and heated vats of amine oxide, which is the primary solvent used to make lyocell fabric. Once the cellulose has dissolved into a clear liquid, it is filtered and pumped through spinnerets.
As it is forced through spinnerets, cellulose is turned into long, thin fibers. The resulting fibers are immersed in a vat of diluted amine oxide to set, and they are then washed with demineralized water.
The lyocell fibers are then dried, and a lubricant, such as silicone or soap, is applied. The fibers are now considered to be in a state called tow, and these bundles of tow are placed in a crimper that compresses the fiber. Next, they are carded, which separates and orders the strands. Lastly, the fibers are cut, and they are then ready to be turned into a variety of different products.
Compared to rayon, the Tencel production process requires far fewer steps and takes much less time. Also, since the amine oxide used to make this fabric can be recovered, making lyocell fabric is much less wasteful than making rayon.
