TEXTILES.ORG
With the cellulose fiber TENCEL® as a short-cut type, Lenzing is satisfying trends and customer demand in the nonwovens industry. The fiber is biodegradable and strong but still “flushable,” ideal for high-quality wipes and care wipes.
In an increasing number of households one can find practical wipes for hygiene and care applications and the trend is on the rise. Many wipes are disposed of in the toilet whether they are “flushable” or not-which leads to problems with blockages in public sewage systems. The industry is looking into this problem and demanding new production technologies. With TENCEL, Lenzing supplies a raw material that is of botanic origin, contains no additives, and is biodegradable. When processed in the right way, practical wipes can be produced that comply with the convenience mindset of consumers and are, at the same time, biodegradable and environmentally friendly.
Due to their fiber strength, the TENCEL wipe is particularly tear-resistant in contrast to the materials conventionally used, such as pulp and short-cut viscose. The high strength of the TENCEL fiber also reduces the use of binding agents, which are mostly made of acrylic, latex or bi-component fibers. Another advantage of TENCEL compared to short-cut viscose is that due to the higher strength profile, fewer fibers are required for a comparable quality wipe.
“Quality does not, however, only mean enhanced service properties but also refers to the skinfriendly attributes of TENCEL. The fiber has already demonstrated in tests that it is particularly well-suited to sensitive skin,” said Dr. Dieter Eichinger, head of the Hytec market segment (hygiene, home and technical textiles) at Lenzing.
Environmental certificates such as the EU-Ecolabel, Nordic Swan, OK biodegradable from Viocotte or Ecocert demonstrate the environmentally responsible production of TENCEL. “In particular the botanic origin of TENCEL and the sustainable production of the fiber fit perfectly with the current consumer demands and are vital for the production of disposable wipes,” said Elisabeth Stanger, Head of Hygiene at Lenzing.