Tencel is a more environmentally friendly substitute for viscose. It consists of cellulosic fibers made from wood pulp, mostly eucalyptus. This sustainable fabric allows your skin to ‘breathe’ and doesn’t absorb odors. Tencel fabrics have a luxurious look and feel and are amazingly comfortable to wear.

 

Tencel is most often produced in the USA, England and Austria. Tencel comes from nature and makes use of photosynthesis. In photosynthesis the energy from the sun is absorbed by various dyestuffs, primarily green chlorophyll, and converted into chemical energy. In this respect, the starting products of carbon dioxide and water are converted into dextrose and oxygen. The more Tencel fiber you have, the more oxygen.

The wood pulp is dissolved in a solution of amine oxide that is then spun into fibers and the solvent extracted as the fibers pass through a washing process. The manufacturing process recovers 99.5% of the solvent, which is purified and then recycled back into the process. 

 

Tencel is a sustainable material, because it is biodegradable, made of renewable material and attention is paid to sourcing wood pulp from sustainably managed forests. Other environmental benefits are that there is no bleaching needed before processing as the fiber is very ‘clean’ itself. It causes a reduction of energy, water and chemicals in the deying process and you can launder clothing made of tencel effectively at a low temperature. For the production of tencel you need less water than for the production of viscose or cotton. A disadvantage is that the overall process of Tencel is very energy intensive (apart from the dyeing process).

The unique closed loop process makes Tencel the fiber of the future since the solvent used is recycled by almost 100% in the closed loop process. This special process received the "European Award for the Environment" from the European Union.

 

source: http://www.lenzing-fibers.com/en/tencel/