Best Wool Carpets BV, a Netherlands-based manufacturer of wool carpets, is teaming with
Austria-based cellulosic fiber producer Lenzing AG to debut the first commercial carpets featuring
Lenzing’s new Tencel® carpet fiber. Although Tencel previously was considered unsuitable for carpet
applications because of its fine and short fiber make-up, Lenzing has engineered a new variant that
can be processed during carpet manufacturing.
According to Lenzing, carpet made with Tencel offers benefits of the natural cellulose fiber,
such as moisture management and temperature and humidity-regulating properties, so it can reduce
moisture formation on walls and windows as well as mold formation in the carpet itself. Because
Tencel fiber has a natural moisture content of 13 percent compared to 1 percent in man-made fibers,
incorporating Tencel into the carpet prevents electrostatic charging, according to the company.
“The Tencel fiber can be applied universally,” said Yvar Monasch, managing director, Best
Wool. “It can be used in the carpet pile as well as in the tuft and back parts since Tencel has a
high fiber tenacity.”
Other properties of Tencel fiber for carpets include moth resistance; a good dye affinity,
which yields long-lasting and bright colors; and a smooth fiber surface, which gives the carpet a
soft, silky feel.
January 19, 2010
