Biosoft (TM): Hydrophobic Tencel for Nonwovens

Bianca Schachtner, Lenzing AG, Lenzing (Austria) introduced a water-repellent version of Tencel branded Biosoft and said to be extraordinarily soft, hydrophobic, biodegradable and botanic.

•        As an oil absorbent, Biosoft(TM) floats on water and takes up 3-4 times as much oil as Tencel.
•          It withstands hydroentanglement.
•          In a pack of wet wipes, a 70/30 Tencel/Biosoft blend wipe shows reduced variability of lotion uptake through the pack compared with 70/30 Tencel/PES.
•          Tencel has a surface tension of 90 mN/cm compared with 30 for Biosoft.  However blends of the two do not give a linear change of ST.  70/30 Tencel/Biosoft has almost the same water uptake as 100% Tencel.
•          As a biodegradable topsheet, Biosoft gives similar strikethrough and wetback results to synthetic topsheets.
•          Biosoft topsheet offers improved embossability compared with Tencel.

There were numerous questions.  The treatment affected the surface only.  2^nd and 3^rd insult strikethrough and wetback were the same as the first.  It absorbs water vapour like Tencel.  It feels very soft when in textiles or nonwovens. The cost relative to PP was not divulged.