Lyocell is a form of rayon that consists of cellulose fibre made from dissolving pulp (bleached wood pulp) using dry jet-wet spinning. It was developed in 1972 by a team at the now defunct American Enka fibers facility at Enka, North Carolina. In 2003, this development was recognised by the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) by the awarding of their Henry E. Millson Award for Invention.
The operating name for the fibre inside the Enka organization was “Newcell”, and the development was carried through pilot plant scale before the work was stopped. The fibre was developed further as Tencel in the 1980s by Courtaulds Fibres in Coventry, UK and at the Grimsby, UK pilot plant.
These fibers are known for feeling super soft and are widely used in sustainable fashion.