Denim trends are constantly evolving as brands serve consumers new fits, washes, embellishments and fiber compositions. While brands and designers innovate to deliver novel products, the processes behind jeans’ signature looks are also being reinvented for the potential of enhanced efficiency and sustainability.
Among the areas getting the most research and development attention are denim laundries. These industrial facilities are the final stop in the supply chain where denim goes to be washed, tinted, abraded, softened and dried before it ships to retail. More efficient processes such as laser, ozone, nebulization and low-liquid ratio machines are being developed for dyeing and finishing, reducing time, manual effort and resources consumed. Lenzing Group recently conducted a study that confirms its EU Ecolabel-certified TENCEL™ Lyocell and Modal fibers2 are a fit for these newer manufacturing processes.
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“Our findings show that TENCEL™ fibers can be processed using these newer techniques without any technical barriers, while maintaining the fibers’ key features and performance,” explained Tuncay Kilickan, head of global business development, denim at Lenzing. “As we pursue collaborative innovation towards a responsible textile value chain,3 it is imperative for us to support our industry partners in ensuring that TENCEL™ is well-suited for modern laundry methods.”
To encourage the industry to explore and adopt alternative laundry techniques for the resource-efficient TENCEL™ fibers,1, 3 Lenzing has refreshed its Laundry Manual, which shares the results of its research and provides practical tips to manufacturers. This updated guide lays out how manufacturing partners can optimize the garment dyeing and finishing process for TENCEL™-containing textiles to save water and energy, leveraging the inherent resource efficiency of TENCEL™ fibers,1 which are produced using a closed-loop process that recovers over 99 percent of the solvent during fiber production.4
A key highlight of the manual is the use of ozone technology, which replaces water and chemicals with air in what would normally be wet processes. For instance, ozone can be used to shorten the dyeing and finishing processes. Fibers need to be treated to prevent fibrillation, or pilling caused by friction during wet processing both at industrial laundries and during household washes. Typically, there would be a water- and chemical-heavy two-step procedure starting with pre-fibrillation, during which fibers are prepared for processing. Then, de-fibrillation removes excess fibers to get a smoother fabric and improved aesthetics. Using ozone streamlines the process by only requiring humid conditions, rather than fully wet conditions like conventional methods. This single-step approach significantly reduces water and energy consumption for production as well as post-drying.
In addition to ozone, the study proved TENCEL™ fibers can be processed using low liquor ratio washing machines for dyeing and bleaching, which consume far less water than conventional washers. Getting denim’s popular worn-in looks requires color to be lifted after dyeing has occurred, which is typically accomplished with bleaching or pumice stones, but alternatives allow for the same aesthetics without abrasion or heavy chemicals.
For example, stone washing, which uses pumice stones and water to physically abrade the indigo dyestuff from the fabric surface, can be replaced by enzyme washing in low-liquid ratio machines. This substitutes stones with enzymes and reduces water consumption. Similarly, bleaching with chemicals like permanganate or hypochlorite, which consumes substantial water, can be replaced by ozone bleaching using air, significantly reducing water usage and simplifying the drying process.
Notably, swapping technologies does not affect the inherent properties of TENCEL™ fibers, including the fibers’ soft hand feel and strength.5, 6 Additionally, these alternatives still allow for the creation of sought-after denim effects like distressing and wash-down looks.
“As the denim segment continues to strive for higher resource-efficiency and lower environmental impact, the adoption of TENCEL™ Lyocell and Modal fibers, coupled with the implementation of Lenzing’s latest Laundry Manual, will foster more collaboration and success,” added Kilickan. “By validating the compatibility of our fibers with these latest laundry techniques, we aim to empower our partners—manufacturers, laundries and brands—to design and create denim products optimized with quality, aesthetics and performance while showing more care to our planet.”3
Click here to learn more about how TENCEL™ fibers can elevate denim offerings with the environment at heart.1, 2, 3 Register here to receive the Laundry Manual.
- TENCEL™ Lyocell and Modal fibers are made with at least 50 percent less carbon emissions and water consumption compared to generic lyocell and modal. Results based on LCA standards (ISO 14040/44) and available via Higg MSI (Version 3.8).
- TENCEL™ Lyocell and Modal fibers are certified with the widely recognized EU Ecolabel for textile products (license no. AT/016/001). The EU Ecolabel is the European Union’s official voluntary label for environmental excellence. EU Ecolabel products have a reduced environmental impact across multiple stages of the product life cycle.
- To foster a sustainable global textile and nonwovens industry, Lenzing follows three strategic principles within the context of its “Naturally Positive” sustainability strategy, which focuses on greening the value chain, advancing the circular economy and collaborating for systemic change with key industry stakeholders, such as Textile Exchange, Cascale, Canopy, Together for Sustainability, Renewable Carbon Initiative, and UN Global Compact. (www.lenzing.com/sustainability)
- Savings consider solvent recovery. Compared to generic (unbranded) lyocell. Results based on LCA standards (ISO 14040/44) and available via Higg MSI (Version 3.8).
- TENCEL™ Lyocell and Modal fibers are naturally soft and smooth to the touch.
- Both TENCEL™ Lyocell and Modal fibers have a high tenacity profile favoring processing stability. This enables TENCEL™ fibers to withstand faster production speeds in machinery, while at the same time making critical contributions to yarn strength and quality.
