Lenzing’s lyocell cellulosic fibre Tencel turned 20 this week. Lenzing celebrated the anniversary by holding a commemorative ceremony and a customer symposium and here we look at the brand’s past, present and future.

The first large production facility for lyocell fibres was put into operation in Mobile, Alabama in the USA in 1992 and today the Lenzing Group manufactures Tencel fibres at three sites located in Austria, Great Britain and the USA.

20 years ago the Tencel plant in Mobile was the first large-scale industrial production site in the world for the then new lyocell fibres. The factory was originally built by the British company Courtaulds Plc, a former Lenzing competitor and Lenzing took over the facility when it acquired the Tencel Group in 2004. In recent years it has been technologically upgraded and annual production capacity was increased to the current level of about 50,000 tons of Tencel fibres.

Today Lenzing manufactures Tencel fibres at three sites in Heiligenkreuz, Austria with an annual capacity of 60,000 tons; Grimsby, UK, featuring a capacity of approximately 40,000 tons each year; and in the Mobile, Alabama plant. A fourth production plant is currently being constructed in Lenzing, Upper Austria and total annual capacity will amount to 60,000 tons. The facility will be the first second-generation Tencel plant from a technological perspective.

On the occasion of the special commemorative ceremony, Lenzing CEO Peter Untersperger emphasized the tremendous importance of the Tencel technology.

“Tencel has been the biggest technological step forward in the man-made cellulose fibre industry since the invention of viscose fibres about 100 years ago. The development of the fibre over the last 20 years only marks the beginning of a success story which will continue for many decades to come. Tencel ideally combines the need for competitive production costs compared to other fibres with the requirement of ensuring sustainable, environmentally compatible production. Tencel is a breakthrough technology, and I am proud that the Lenzing Group is by far the world’s number one provider of Tencel fibres.“

Competitive race

The initial phase in the development of lyocell fibres, marketed by Lenzing today exclusively under the brand name Tencel, was characterized by a bitter rivalry between the Lenzing Group and Courtaulds.

Both companies conducted research in competition with each other to become the first of the two firms to launch promising new fibres on the marketplace. At production start-up in Mobile in 1992, Courtaulds had a competitive edge, but Lenzing’s first large-scale lyocell factory in Heiligenkreuz (Burgenland) was already in the pipeline. It was successfully put into operation in 1996 and in 2004, Lenzing finally acquired the Tencel Group and all its production sites.

Combining forces

The merger of Tencel and Lenzing led to a bundling of their collective strengths. The two-way know-how exchange and the decision to consolidate research and development on Tencel fibres at one site finally led to the sought-after breakthrough in the marketplace for the new generation of fibres. The range of applications was expanded, and the Tencel business subsequently developed very dynamically, spreading from the USA to Europe and Asia.

Diverse applications

Tencel fibres are used by the textiles industry as well as for nonwovens. Lenzing says the production process is particularly environmentally compatible, and is characterized by the nearly complete recovery of the deployed solvent.

Lenzing is continuously developing new applications in cooperation with customers and partners. The optimal moisture management of Tencel fibres makes them attractive for use in sportswear and women’s outerwear as well as in home textiles such as mattresses, quilts and bed linen.

Tencel is also integrated into sensitive segments such as cosmetics, hygiene, and medicine, for example in wound dressings and baby wipes. In the technical segment, Tencel is used, for example, to strengthen plastics or to manufacture electrotechnical components.

The Lenzing Group is a world market leader with headquarters in Austria, production sites in all major markets as well as a worldwide network of sales and marketing offices. Lenzing supplies the global textile and nonwovens industry with high-quality man-made cellulose fibres and is the leading supplier in many business-to-business markets. The Lenzing portfolio ranges from dissolving pulp, standard and specialty cellulose fibres to high-quality plastic polymer products and engineering services.

Lenzing says its quality and innovative strength set global standards for man-made cellulose fibres. “With more than 70 years of experience in fibre production, the Lenzing Group is the only company worldwide combining the manufacturing of all three man-made cellulose fibre generations on a large industrial scale under one roof – from the classic viscose to modal and lyocell (Tencel) fibres,” the company says.

“The success of the Lenzing Group is based on a unique combination of consistent customer orientation together with its leadership in innovation, technology and quality. Our successful specialization strategy and an outstanding cost position are the basis for our economic strength.”

“Lenzing is committed to the principle of sustainable management and very high environmental standards. Lenzing's core business fibre is complemented by our activities in the business fields plastics and engineering.