Booming Lyocell Market is a Big Win for Sustainability

Lyocell is an environmentally friendly fiber made from wood pulp that is often harvested from sustainable tree farms and then created by means of nanotechnology using closed-loop processing. Lyocell is a cousin of rayon, also made with wood pulp or bamboo, but compared with rayon it uses less chemical processing.  The chemicals that are used operate in a closed-loop system, meaning some 99.5% of them are captured and reused continuously. The minute amounts of effluent that do result are considered non-toxic. The result of this manufacturing is a soft fabric with many wonderful properties, not the least of which is that it is completely biodegradable.    Both wood pulp and bamboo lyocell are noted for being soft, strong, and well-suited to everything from bedsheets to summer fashion.  Top manufacturers of the fabric include the likes of Aditya Birla (India) and Baoding Swan (China).  Baoding Swan Fiber Co., Ltd, or Baoding Swan, is located in the city of Baoding in China’s Hebei Province. It was formerly the state-owned enterprise Baoding Chemical Fiber Joint Factory. It was also the first modern, sizable chemical fiber joint enterprise in China.  Baoding Swan became a member of China Hi-Tech Group Corporation in September 2009 and then a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hi-Tech Fiber Group Corporation in October of 2016.  Along the way, Baoding Swan also began to produce high-quality lyocell, a first for China. Production of the fabric began in 2015, with 1,500 tons per year. This was the high-end brand ORICELL, and Baoding Swan was the second manufacturer in the world to produce it.  ORICELL (not to be confused with OriCell, a similarly-named New Zealand-based deer placenta supplement), is lyocell of the finest quality, produced with renewable wood pulp by means of environmentally sustainable production methods. The production process is an example of green manufacturing. It makes use of an innovative non-toxic, harmless organic solvent that can be recycled and used again.  The finished product combines a variety of desirable features. It is known for its breathability, comfort, glossiness, ease in dyeing, and biodegradability. It also tends to absorb moisture but has low shrinkage in water.  Indeed, it is said that lyocell-based fabrics are as comfortable as cotton, have the drape of viscose, are as strong as polyester, and feel like silk to the hand. An additional consideration is that ORICELL fabrics are completely biodegradable.  With so many fortunate characteristics, Baoding Swan’s ORICELL is taking the textile world by storm. As demand has accelerated, Baoding Swan has invested in a new production facility with a capacity of 60,000 tons per year.  Baoding Swan’s goal is to be the largest manufacturer of lyocell fiber. Given the many favorable attributes of ORICELL, including the green manufacturing process and the biodegradability of the finished product, this should be a big win for sustainability.