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Textile fibres
Published in Michael Hann, Textile Design, 2020
Lyocell is a generic term for a relatively recent generation of fibres derived from cellulose in wood-chip form (mainly, it seems, from closely managed plantations using land not suited to conventional farming). Though related to viscose, lyocell uses a solvent-spinning technique in which the cellulose does not undergo significant change. Lyocell requires a lesser number of production steps than viscose. The fibres have excellent wear resistance, are reputed to have very high bacterial resistance, are breathable, smooth, soft and comfortable, have high absorbency and good wicking ability (so keep the skin dry in hot weather), can be dyed to high standards, are very strong and are used in various industrial applications (in, for example, protective clothing or filters) as well as in a wide range of garment types. The major disadvantage appears to be the high cost compared to other fibres, and care must be taken in laundering. In the early-twenty-first century, lyocell fibres were regarded as eco-friendly and environmentally sustainable and were produced in a closed-loop process, which ensured that all solvents left after manufacture were recovered and returned to the process. In addition, it appears that the fibres are biodegradable. Woodings (2001) presented a comprehensive review of regenerated cellulosic fibres of various types.
Textile elements in a design project of children’s furniture
Published in Gianni Montagna, Cristina Carvalho, Textiles, Identity and Innovation: Design the Future, 2018
Lyocell prevents the growth of bacteria, which cause odors, naturally without the addition of chemical treatment which may cause allergic reaction and are environmentally unfriendly, often used on synthetics and cotton. Bacterial growth is prevented through the moisture management of the fibre. When moisture is produced it is directly absorbed from the skin and transported to the inside of the fibre. Thus no water film is produced on the skin where bacteria could grow. Clothes remain odor free for multiple wearing, much longer than cotton. This also means fewer washings and saving on water and energy as well as on the wear and tear that occurs on any fabric from the washing and drying processes. Lyocell itself is hypoallergenic, meaning that it is not likely to cause an allergic reaction in sensitive individuals. This is why it is used for clothing and home furnishings, by individuals with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS) and those with allergy sensitivities, psoriasis, and neurodermatitis. It is also anti-static and doesn’t cling. Lyocell’s manufacturing process (Fig. 4), with not harmful and recyclable solvent is eco-friendly and can also be made with cellulose from birch, oak, eucalyptus or bamboo, being the last, a quite sustainable source.
Textile Cleaning and Odour Removal
Published in G. Thilagavathi, R. Rathinamoorthy, Odour in Textiles, 2022
Kirsi Laitala, Ingun Grimstad Klepp, Vilde Haugrønning
Fabrics made of regenerated cellulose fibre are soft and display high drapability combined with smooth and lustrous appearance and a high water absorption ability (Cook 1984a). However, they also have some disadvantages, including easy stretching with poor elastic recovery, low abrasion resistance, wet shrinkage, and low wrinkle resistance (Sinclair 2015). Lyocell has some beneficial properties in use, such as increased strength (both dry and wet) and lower elongation than regular viscose. This applies also to modal that is as strong wet as dry but is otherwise much like viscose.
Product development, fashion buying and merchandising
Published in Textile Progress, 2022
Rachel Parker-Strak, Rosy Boardman, Liz Barnes, Stephen Doyle, Rachel Studd
As consumers become more interested in sustainable fashion, they are becoming more aware of new fabrics and looking to educate themselves about them. Google has reported that searches of ‘lyocell material’ has increased by 190% in the US and 60% in the UK from February 2019–February 2020 (Gividen, 2020). Lyocell is made from the wood pulp of trees and was first created in 1990 as a fully biodegradable fabric and one that uses recycled water through solvent-spinning (Boardman, Parker-Strak, et al., 2020). Unlike viscose rayon, its sustainable credentials are high, reducing water waste and issues associated with atmospheric pollution. Moreover, the reason why lyocell has become a particularly popular sustainable alternative material to use by brands is because it has similar properties to viscose rayon and is quite cost-effective to produce (Boardman, Parker-Strak, et al., 2020). Many high-street fashion brands such as & Other Stories, Topshop, and Acne are now incorporating Lyocell into their garments.
Prediction of pilling grade of alkali-treated regenerated cellulosic fabric using fuzzy inference system
Published in The Journal of The Textile Institute, 2022
Lekha Priya Muthusamy, Aravin Prince Periyasamy, Nalankilli Govindan
Currently, there is a huge demand for renewable, sustainable, biodegradable cellulosic textile fibers as it has several advantages over synthetic textile fibers. Lyocell is a unique biodegradable, regenerated fiber derived from sustainable cellulose with the help of organic solvent NMMO (White et al., 2005). As a structural concern, lyocell consists of approximately 80% crystalline cellulose-II and amorphous regions (Abu-Rous, 2006). The degree of crystallinity in lyocell is much higher than popular regenerated cellulosic fibers such as modal (49%) and viscose rayon (41%) (Kreze et al., 2001; Kreze & Malej, 2003). Lyocell fibers have thinnest and longest crystallites, even the amorphous regions are well oriented with the fiber axis (Carrillo et al., 2004). Due to the higher orientation in nature, lyocell has a higher degree of crystallinity leading to higher wet/dry tenacity, high wet modulus (Goswami et al., 2009). Contrarily, lyocell has a major disadvantage as it forms fibrillation during wet conditions (Kreze & Malej, 2003). In short, weaker cross-links between the crystallites and higher orientation of the lyocell fibers entail the local separation of microfibers (i.e. longitudinal splitting) during mechanical action under wet conditions is known as fibrillation; it is approximately 1-4 μm in diameter (Goswami et al., 2009). On other side, fibrillation can produce a peach skin effect (Goswami et al., 2007), however, it is not a long-lasting effect since the appearance could be spoiled due to the formation of pilling. Pilling is a phenomenon exhibited by fabrics formed due to the entanglement of fibers on fabric surfaces during wear or laundering. Generally, fabric with pills displays an unattractive appearance (Xu, 1997).
Medical textiles
Published in Textile Progress, 2020
Lyocell, named in 1989, owes its genesis to the Greek word lyein which means ‘dissolve’ [94, 97], and it is the generic name for a regenerated cellulosic fibre obtained by spinning cellulose dissolved in an organic cyclic polar solvent, N-methyl morpholine-N-oxide [10, 98, 99]. The first commercial product, TencelTM (Lenzing AG, Austria), was originally released by Acordis in 1988. The starting material for lyocell, as for viscose rayon, is wood pulp, but the manufacturing process used to take the cellulose into solution is different; temporary chemical modification to render the cellulose soluble in the case of viscose rayon but only dissolution for lyocell, where the dissolution involves using the organic cyclic polar solvent N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide (NMMO) hydrate under intensive shear forces and simultaneous evaporation of water. The solution of cellulose in NMMO hydrate is subsequently filtered and then extruded into a water bath through fine jets. As the solvent is washed out, the fibres form into fine filaments which can be collected and a very-high proportion of the solvent recycled for a further round of dissolution [97]. The lyocell fibre has a high degree of orientation with a crystalline to amorphous ratio of approximately 9:1. This offers good wet and dry tensile strength and that makes the fibre readily washable. In addition, the fibre has good dimensional stability and its fabrics shrink less on wetting than those made from cotton and viscose rayon [98], but one of the issues of lyocell is that the fibres fibrillate along their length and produce microfibres when wetted due to the highly crystalline structure of the fibre. Whilst there has been work aimed at reducing the fibrillation, it can be used to advantage during the production of nonwoven fabrics but it could cause issues in products intended for implanting in the body because the shedding of microfibres could potentially cause harm [100].