THE MIRACLE FIBER
LYOCELL VS. COTTON & POLYESTER
Compared to polyester and cotton, Lyocell transports moisture directly into the fiber and releases it back into the environment just as quickly.
The nano-fibrillar fiber structure of Lyocell and its resulting ability to perfectly manage moisture, the smooth surface, and the purity of the fiber, which is due to the environmentally friendly production process, lead to excellent physiological wear properties.
Due to its natural structure and associated properties, Lyocell meets the requirements for temperature regulation of the human body, skin sensitivity, and hygiene compared to other fiber materials.
Source: Lenzinger AG (2004): Higher Performance with Natural Intelligence
Fibrillar Structure of Lyocell
Source: Lenzing AG (2020): Physical Properties of Active Sportswear with TENCEL™ Lyocell Fibers
WATER ABSORPTION
LYOCELL VS POLYESTER
Source: Lenzinger AG (2004): Higher performance with natural intelligence
The microscopic images show how the moisture (blue) accumulates in the respective material.
It's easy to see how lyocell draws moisture into the fiber , which cotton only partially does and polyester does not do at all. This property of increased moisture absorption is called hydrophilicity.
Bacterial growth is naturally reduced in Lyocell without any chemical additives.
Any occurring moisture is immediately transported into the interior of the fiber (see above), preventing the formation of bacteria with Lyocell from the outset. There is no moisture film on the fiber, which serves as a breeding ground for bacteria. The following table shows that bacterial growth on synthetic materials is 100 to 1000 times higher than on Lyocell. With cotton, the growth is even 10 times higher.
Bacterial growth on textiles
Source: Lenzinger AG (2004): Higher Performance with Natural Intelligence
In this comparison, lyocell has a significantly higher water absorption capacity and most importantly a much higher absorption rate than cotton and polyester.
By evenly distributing moisture over a large area, Lyocell can ensure optimal evaporation at the surface of the textile material, leading to excellent temperature regulation .
Within 20 seconds, the lyocell fabric reaches a maximum moisture absorption capacity of 380% , while cotton and polyester only reach 16-18%.
Comparison of the water absorption or absorption of lyocell, cotton and polyester
Source: Lenzinger AG (2004): Higher performance with natural intelligence
In addition to good moisture absorption, the ability to release the absorbed water when drying is an important parameter, especially for sportswear.
Polyester is known as a material that has better drying properties than cotton. That is why polyester is often used for sports jerseys. With lyocell, however, the situation is completely different.
Although lyocell requires moisture to be released from the fiber from inside the fiber to the surface and then to the air, there is no significant difference in drying speed between lyocell and polyester.
Comparison of drying properties of lyocell and polyester. Source: Lenzinger AG (2004): Higher performance with natural intelligence