At the A+A in Düsseldorf from 3 to 6 November 2009 Lenzing is the only fiber manufacturer presenting fibers of the renewable raw material wood for professional and protective clothing. The fibers Lenzing FR® and TENCEL® are continuing their triumphal course this year and are being used to an increasing extent in textiles for professional clothing.

Fibers of wood are rare in professional and protective clothing. In most cases synthetic fibers are used or cotton. Lenzing offers two specialty fibers of wood for professional clothing: Lenzing FR®, a fiber with an integrated fire resistance agent and TENCEL®, a functional fiber with an optimum moisture management. The success of Lenzing fibers can be explained by their functionality and naturalness. Moreover the environmental aspect plays an increasingly important role in the collections. The arguments of sustainability and environmental friendliness are seen by many manufacturers as a characteristic to stand out from imports from Asia. Likewise more authorities, organizations and companies attach importance to sustainable products when buying professional clothing.

Lenzing FR®- the fiber with integrated flame protection for a
higher performance in extreme situations

The flame-resistant fiber Lenzing FR® is known around the world as a skin-friendly protective fiber. It is used in many professional applications as an optimum protection against different sources of heat. Unique heat insulation properties combined with permanent flame-resistance make Lenzing FR® the „Heat Protection Fiber“.

The overheating of the body during extreme physical exertion at work is a great danger. Due to the naturalness of Lenzing FR®, the fiber has a good moisture transportation which reduces the risk from life-threatening heat strokes.

New studies even show that with Lenzing FR® the core body temperature is at its lowest due to the perfect moisture management.

A low core body temperature is a basic pre-requisite for a higher performance. Different materials were compared in a series of tests: 100 % flame-resistant cotton, 100 % aramide, blends of aramide and Lenzing FR® and a blend with Modacryl and cotton.

The winner of the test was quite clearly the blend of aramide/Lenzing FR®. Due to the lower core body temperature, the wearer of Lenzing FR® has a higher performance profile. The higher performance amounts to 6 Watts. This means running for one minute longer in practice. And this one minute can save a life.

Lenzing FR® is equally a step ahead when it comes to quality. Lenzing FR® is the only FR fiber on the market produced using the Modal process. Thus the highest fiber strengths can be obtained and the flame protection is permanently placed in the inside of the fiber.

Conventional FR fibers on a viscose basis lose tenacity as a result of the incorporation and as a result their protective effect. Only Lenzing FR® offers reliable protection due to the technology from Lenzing.

TENCEL® - new and already trading well

The cellulose fiber TENCEL® is being presented at A&A for the second time. Two years ago TENCEL® was mainly shown in the medical field. One now finds TENCEL® in lots of different applications such as in Corporate Fashion, professional clothing in the gastronomy and service sector and in uniforms. The property profile of TENCEL® makes the fiber a multitalented fiber for a wide field of applications. Reduced bacterial growth, the very best skin-sensory properties and an excellent moisture management ensure an optimum wear comfort compared to professional clothing of conventional materials. TENCEL® is particularly well suited to professional clothing since it is the strongest fiber among the cellulose fibers.

The high tenacity profile in the wet and dry condition beats any other cellulose fiber. In particular the high tenacity increases the dimensional stability in each end product and makes professional clothing of TENCEL® particularly durable and long-lasting.

TENCEL® can be blended with different fibers and significantly enhances the wear comfort. Not only the wear comfort is improved but also the eco balance of individual textiles can be positively changed due to the admixture of TENCEL®. If the share of cotton in professional clothing is replaced with TENCEL®, this can improve the environmental friendliness. As little as 25 % of TENCEL® fiber in the textile reduces the amount of cultivable land required for cotton by 25 %. Likewise the water consumption is reduced by 25 %.

Humans at work

Lenzing positions itself as a specialist in the field of professional clothing and in a new testimonial campaign it shows people wearing TENCEL® or Lenzing FR® at their place of work. They report on the wear comfort and provide new insight into international working habits. Thus a forester from Austria or a chef from Hong Kong report on TENCEL® professional clothing at their specific place of work. Each professional application has special demands of the professional clothing used. Lenzing fibers are used all over the world in a variety of applications and completely satisfy various demands depending on the structure and processing.