Technologies

Lenzing’s advanced technologiestransforming wood into better fibers

About our technologies

Lenzing's fibers are derived from cellulose − the main component of plants. Our cellulose comes from trees, who build it using sunlight, water, and CO₂. This makes wood an ideal renewable raw material for producing aesthetic and functional fibers.

With over 80 years of experience, we pair deep expertise with proven technologies to use resources responsibly. For example, we recover and reuse key chemicals, continuously reduce water and energy use, and improve process efficiency, helping lower environmental impact while maintaining consistent quality.

Our production process has two distinct stages. First, we convert wood into pulp − using our biorefinery concept that ensures 100 percent utilization of wood components. Next, we transform this pulp into high-performance fibers: lyocell, modal, and viscose.

Pulp production – from wood to pulp

From wood to dissolving pulp

In the pulping process, logs are debarked, chipped, and treated in a cooking liquor. Cellulose makes up around 40 percent of wood substance and is separated as dissolving pulp during this stage. After washing and screening to remove residual cooking liquor, knots, and impurities, our raw pulp undergoes a totally chlorine-free (TCF) bleaching process before being transformed into pulp sheets or flakes.

What remains tells an equally important story: Residual wood constituents and cooking chemicals stay within the thin liquor, where where ofecovery process recycles the chemicals while converting organic components into bioenergy. This produces both steam and electricity.

Our biorefinery approach is designed to make efficient use of input materials. In addition to producing dissolving pulp for fiber applications, it enables the generation of co-products and bioenergy. This supports high recovery rates, reduces production waste, and contributes to energy self-sufficiency in pulp. production.

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Fiber production – from pulp to fiber

Process A: Lyocell

Following viscose and modal, lyocell is commonly regarded as the third generation of regenerated cellulose fibers, with commercial production spanning approximately 30 years. At Lenzing, these fibers are marketed under the TENCEL™ Lyocell and VEOCEL™ Lyocell brands.

Our lyocell fibers are produced by dissolving cellulose in the organic solvent N-Methylmorpholine-N-oxide (NMMO). The raw material can come from wood-based cellulose or alternative cellulose sources such as cotton scraps.

The process begins by suspending pulp in a mixture of water and NMMO, creating a homogeneous slurry. As water is removed, the cellulose dissolves in the solvent, forming a spinning solution known as a "dope". This solution is then filtered to remove any undissolved particles

During wet spinning, the filtered solution passes through a spinneret tiny openings to form filament tows. These tows are subsequently washed, finished, dried, and cut to the desired fiber length. The solvent is recovered by the closed-loop process, with approximately 99.8% of the NMMO being recovered and reused.

Process B: Viscose & modal

Viscose fibers, first produced on an industrial scale in the late 19th century, involve a multi-step chemical process. Unlike the direct dissolution used in lyocell production, our viscose process requires a chemical reaction called xanthation before the cellulose can be dissolved.

The journey begins by steeping pulp in sodium hydroxide solution to create alkali cellulose. After aging, this material reacts with carbon disulfide in a process called xanthation. The resulting substance dissolves in lye to create a deep orange, highly viscous solution − which gives viscose its name. This solution undergoes ripening and deaeration before entering the spinning process, where it’s pressed through tiny openings into an acidic bath to form filaments. These are then stretched, cut to length, desulfurized, washed, and finished.

Modal fibers follow a similar path, but with specific modifications to the spinning solution and process settings, resulting in fibers with characteristically high wet strength.

How regenerated cellulose fibers are made at Lenzing

Our fibers are derived from wood in a two-stage process. In the first stage, dissolving pulp is produced – similar to paper pulp in the first step of making paper. In the second stage, this pulp is dissolved, and we regenerate cellulose fibers from the dissolved wood pulp. Lenzing’s regenerated cellulose fibers have specific diameters and lengths suitable for a wide range of textile and nonwoven applications.

Technology-driven solutions for enhanced fiber performance

By employing a broad portfolio of technologies, we equip Lenzing fibers with specific properties directly during the production process. This flexibility allows us to tailor our fibers to individual customer needs and adapt them to a wide range of industry requirements.

Technologies

Fiber technologies for textile fibers

REFIBRA™ technology

REFIBRA™ technology builds on the highly efficient production processes of standard LENZING™ ECOVERO™ fibers. Here, we use textile waste as a raw material, in addition to wood. The fibers contain a minimum of 20 percent recycled material, which is sourced from pre- and post-consumer waste. LENZING™ ECOVERO™ fibers produced with REFIBRA™ technology also meet the Recycled Claim Standard.¹

Micro technology

Micro technology lets us produce the very finest fibers within our TENCEL™ portfolio, giving textile products notable softness and lightness. Therefore, fabrics made with TENCEL™ fibers produced with Micro technology stand out for their natural comfort and enjoyable sensation and enable the production of lightweight fabrics with a flowing drape, more even textile appearance, and a softer hand.

Indigo Color technology

Lenzing’s Indigo Color technology directly incorporates color pigments into the fiber during fiber production and, therefore, helps avoid downstream and energy-intensive conventional dyeing processes. A fabric made from these fibers causes 60 percent lower greenhouse gas emissions than conventionally dyed fabrics.²

Filament technology

With the Filament technology, we extend lyocell production from staple fibers to continuous filaments, which combine directly into ready-to-use yarn without requiring spinning. This advancement in regenerated cellulose fiber technology leverages our efficient closed-loop production process while maintaining the natural origin of TENCEL™ Lyocell.

Technologies

Fiber technologies for nonwoven fibers

Translucency technology

Our patented Translucency technology enables production of VEOCEL™ branded lyocell fibers especially for facial sheet masks. Masks made with VEOCEL™ Lyocell fibers become translucent when infused with serum, enabling producers to address consumer expectations for translucency, smoothness, and comfort, thereby setting them apart from others and conferring a distinctive competitive advantage.

Disperse technology

The Disperse technology can be applied to VEOCEL™ branded lyocell fibers. It enables the production of short cellulose fibers, designed to be used for flushable products where they contribute to high dispersibility and biodegradability. Fabrics produced with VEOCEL™ Lyocell fibers with Disperse technology are compatible with a wide range of lotions, dispersible and flushable.

Micro technology

Lenzing’s Micro technology can be applied to VEOCEL™ branded lyocell fibers. The Micro technology allows the production of fine cellulose fibers which are best suited for lightweight fabrics with high opacity and great strength.

Dry technology

With Lenzing’s Dry technology, VEOCEL™ branded lyocell fibers achieve liquid-controlling properties. The fibers are treated with a compound that renders the fiber surface hydrophobic. The fibers can facilitate efficient distribution of fluids, a particularly useful trait in absorbent hygiene products, as it keeps the surface dry and the touch soft, even after contact with body fluids.

Absorbency technology

The Absorbency technology can be applied to VEOCEL™ branded viscose fibers. VEOCEL™ Viscose fibers with Absorbency technology are produced using a stringently-controlled and state-of-the-art production process, and are tested according to applicable standards to ensure that the fibers are clean and safe. It enhances the performance of tampons by improving efficient liquid absorbency.

Focus Paper Responsible Production Mockup

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¹ Certified by Control Union Shanghai (CU1260548)

² Graph based on “Terinte et al., 2014: Terinte, N., Manda, B.M.K., Taylor, J., Schuster, K.C., and Patel, M. (2014). Environmental assessment of coloured fabrics and opportunities for value creation: spin-dyeing versus conventional dyeing. Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 72: 127–138.”; Textile processing steps being similar for Modal and Viscose, therefore savings are based on calculations of fabric production and dyeing via jet dyeing excl. fiber impact.

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