Tencel®

Tencel® is the registered trade name for a type of lyocell, a biodegradable material made fromwood pulp cellulose. Fabric sold under the this brand specifically is manufactured by Lenzing AG. This material started to grow in popularity in the late 1990s and is now used in a variety of ways. Though the exact characteristics of the material depend on how it's processed, it tends to be durable and soft. Often said to be environmentally friendly, it is fully biodegradable and made from trees managed for sustained harvest.

Qualities

This material is very versatile, since it can be manipulated to have a variety of textures. Early Tencel® garments were often compared to rayon in look and feel, but it is now made in a variety of textures including a silky, peach skin, or moleskin feel. Blends with other fibers such as wool, cotton or linen can produce a variety of textures. Garments made with this fabric generally drape well, resist wrinkles, and are fairly durable. Additionally, the fabric is very breathable and moisture wicking, which can make it good for those with sensitive skin.

Cleaning: Most garments made with this material are machine washable. If washed in cold water, they shrink slightly with the first washing, but then won’t shrink in future washes. The cloth also dries quickly, so drip-drying is an alternative to using a dryer. If other fabrics are used in a garment it may require dry cleaning, even though the Tencel® itself does not.

Uses:Tencel® is used in a variety of applications, including men's wear, sheets, and blankets. Since it's absorbent and dries quickly, it is also suitable for towels. Clothes made from this material are often recommended for traveling because they are light and keep their shape well. Tencel® is also available as fabric for sewing, as yarn for knitting or crocheting, and as fiber forspinning. Besides it use as a cloth, it is also used in making bandages, baby wipes, oil filters and carpeting for cars, as well as conveyor belts and plastic parts. In powder or fiber form, this material is used in making specialized papers, as an additive for building materials, and in making foam mattresses.

Manufacturing Process: The fabric is considered a natural rather than synthetic product because it is made from plant material. To make Tencel® wood chips are mixed with a solvent to produce a wet mixture. This is then pushed through small holes to form threads. These are chemically treated, lubricated, and then combed and cut into usable lengths. The lengths of fiber are then spun into yarn and woven into cloth.

Environmental Impact

Manufacturers of the product say that the solvent used, amine oxide, is non-toxic and recycled during the production cycle. Though it is dyed with conventional dyes, which can harm the environment, less dye is needed than for a similar amount of cotton. Studies also show that processing of Tencel® requires less energy and water than that of cotton, and the trees used are usually grown without pesticides. Despite this, shipping the raw materials needed to make Tencel® throughout the world does require a lot of energy, as does the production process.

Yarn

These yarn can be divided by the types of raw materials which we used for making the yarn. 
Such as-

·                     100% cotton yarn.

·                     CVC yarn (In this type of yarn the combination of cotton of polyester can be varied depending on the buyer requirement. such as - 65% cotton + 35% polyester, 60% cotton + 40% Polyester etc.Also mainly in this type of yarn the cotton part is always remain greater than the Polyester). CVC mean cheap value cotton.

·                     100% polyester yarn.

·                     PC yarn (In this type of yarn the cotton part is always remain less than the Polyester). PC means Polyester cotton.

·                     100% Viscose yarn.

·                     Grey Mélange yarn. In this type yarn we used a mixer of cotton & viscose. The percentage of cotton & viscose may vary depends on the requirement of buyer. Such as - 85% cotton + 15% viscose (Dark Grey Mélange),  90% cotton + 10% viscose (Grey Mélange),  95% cotton + 5% viscose ( Light Grey Mélange),  98% cotton + 2% viscose (Ecru Mélange) etc. Please note that if we increase the percentage of viscose then the yarn shade also will become dark accordingly. The percentage also can be  80% cotton + 20% viscose. So, if your buyer asked you for Grey mélange fabric then you must confirm it from them that, which percentage of viscose actually they looking for. The yarn price of Grey Mélange is higher than normal cotton yarn. Please always be aware about one thing that, the fabric which knitted by grey mélange yarn is not need to dyeing. Also fabric properties of cotton & grey mealange are almost same. So, we can used same care instruction for both (cotton & g.melange) type of fabric. 

Other than these, many more kinds of yarn are producing in this textile world. Such as Bamboo yarn, Organic cotton yarn etc. 

We can also separate the yarn by their finishing quality:

·                     Combed Yarn

·                     Carded Yarn

·                     Rotor Yarn

·                     Slav yarn

Yarn is also labeled by their thickness. The unit of this is count. The count number of yarn will increase according to the reduce of yarn thickness. Yarn price also increase according to increased of count number. 40 count yarns are thinner than the 36 count yarn. Some common yarn count:

·                     20 count 

·                     22 count

·                     24 count

·                     26 count

·                     28 count 

·                     30 count

·                     32 count

·                     34 count

·                     36 count

·                     40 count

Normally we used these yarn count for knit fabrics