Tencel is supposed to be the international textile industry's new apparel fibre after 16 years of research and an investment of 300 million in R&D. The fabric has been woven from man-made cellulosic fibre that is derived from wood pulp harvested from managed forests, according to the Arvind Mills managing director, Sanjay Lalbhai. He was speaking at the launch of the fabric in the country.

For long, textile industries, with the heavy use of solvent and dyes, have been one of the heaviest polluters with high effluent discharges from their mills. But Tencel claims to bedifferent. Tencel, an Arivnd Mills spokesperson says, is produced using an advanced `closed loop' solvent spinning process, which has minimal impact on the environment.

``It uses a non-toxic solvent which is continually recycled. Thus, the effluent is minimal and what effluent is generated is not termed as hazardous. The process to manufacturer Tencel is economical in terms of water and energy usage,'' the spokesperson says.

In 1995, Courtaulds plc, the company which developed Tencel, won the UN Fashion Industry and Environment Award in recognition of the fact that the fibre is environmentally-friendly, says the spokesperson.

Because it uses cellulose from wood pulp, Tencel claims to be absorbent, breathable and fully bio-degradable. Tencel is the brand name owned by the Accordis Group but its generic name is lyocell. This fibre has incredible fibre strength which makes strong quality yarns and fabric. ``Tencel is extremely strong in both wet and dry states. It is the first man-made celluostic fibrethat exceeds the strength of cotton when wet,'' says the spokesperson.

One of the most important physical properties of the fibre is its potential to fibrillation. Fibrillation is where the wet fibre, through abrasive action, develops micro-fibrils (tiny fibres) on its surface. ``By manipulating or controlling fibrillation a variety of different fabric finishes may be achieved,'' he says. Tencel can, therefore, be manipulated to produce soft-touch fabric with a peach skin surface.

Combing the advantages of both natural and synthetic fibres, Tencel, the spokesperson claims, has the softness of silk, the strength of polyester and the absorbency of cotton. ``In blends, the natural qualities of Tencel complement those of other fabrics. When blended with wool, Tencel introduces new softness and drape, with cotton and linen, it increases the suppleness and lustre. To stretch fabrics, it brings a new softness,'' says the spokesperson.