Li Xiaoqin, Sateri

Chen Zongli, Xinhuayuan Group

Wang Aiyi, Zhejiang Yuexin Dyeing & Printing Co., Ltd.

Shen Shoubing, Mercury Home Textile

Lyocell, as a kind of fiber, needs the collaboration of the whole industry chain if it is to be transformed into a competitive consumer product. Ms. Li Xiaoqin, Marketing Director of Sateri, Mr. Chen Zongli, Chairman of Xinhuayuan Group, Mr. Wang Aiyi, Chief Engineer of Yuexin Dyeing & Printing Co., Ltd, and Mr. Shen Shoubing, Technical Director of Mercury Home Textile, representing the relevant links of the industry chain, discussed the following at the end of the 3rd Lyocell Industry Forum around how to forge Lyocell's own way.

Wang Junnan, CCFGroup: We know that Sateri has played a strong role in the development of Lyocell, so I would like to ask Ms. Li why Sateri chose lyocell as the new development direction, and what is Sateri's plan and outlook in the field of lyocell? Can you tell us about the efforts you have made in this area? Now we are used to draw a portrait of consumers, if we draw a portrait of Lyocell in the next five years, what do you think it will be?

Li Xiaoqin, Sateri: First of all, Sateri chose lyocell as the future of the industry, and also as the green fiber, which is consistent with the enterprise planning. The future development plan is to achieve four stability: stable supply, stable quality, stable service and stable price. Through a series of work to support the future development of the industry chain.

As an excellent material, the outstanding characteristics of lyocell are slippery and bright, but it can also be made non-slippery. Lyocell is a material that can have many development directions, and the characteristics of lyocell are versatile. We will make lyocell with different characteristics according to the needs of our customers. For the problem of lyocell's cool feeling, it needs the joint efforts of the industry to solve, and there are already applications in the field of warm clothing. Within five years, it is very likely to achieve production of one million tons or so. Lyocell will combine the advantages of different fibers together, and I believe it will penetrate into various fields in the next five years.

CCFGroup: Xinhuayuan is a leading enterprise in the field of viscose yarn, and also entered the field of lyocell at an early stage, and the output of lyocell yarn of your company has been increasing in these two years. I would like to ask Mr. Chen why you made a big step from viscose yarn to lyocell yarn, and how do you see the rapid development of lyocell industry in recent years? What details do you need to pay attention to in the lyocell spinning process, what are the difficulties and do you have any good solutions?

Chen Zongli, Xinhuayuan Group: As a spinning mill, we are also a chef to some extent, choosing the advantageous ingredients to cook food that meets consumers' needs. Sateri can meet the demand of mass production. And lyocell itself is a very good fiber with a very broad development prospect. It can solve some problems that the end-market is suffering from, such as the problem of unstable size. Within ten years, lyocell will replace 10%-15% of viscose production, and our company is happy to make our contribution to the development of lyocell industry.

Domestic lyocell manufacturers do not analyze lyocell very carefully, its advantages and disadvantages, and how to avoid its shortcomings. Lyocell does not have the problem of pilling and hairiness, and the size stability is particularly good. Blending is a solution to the problem of coolness, and the blending of lyocell and cotton is a perfect match.

CCFGroup: We know that Yuexin has done a good job in printing and dyeing of lyocell, and Mr. Wang has been engaged in dyeing and finishing industry for more than 30 years. Can you introduce some key points of lyocell in dyeing and printing? Raw fibrillation is an issue we have been talking about, how do you see and deal with it? From the printing and dyeing point of view, is it possible to change the difficulties and costs of printing and dyeing after mass production of Lyocell? Is it possible to reduce the cost of printing and dyeing?

Mr. Wang, Yuexin Dyeing & Printing Co., Ltd: The dyeing cost of lyocell raw fiber processing is very high, the biggest cost is in labor, and the yield rate is low. Our company is actively introducing digitalization to improve quality and production efficiency. The addition of cotton and other materials to lyocell will reduce the brand premium, how to improve lyocell auxiliaries to reduce the cost of printing and dyeing, and the entire industry chain of lyocell needs closer cooperation and to integrate industry chain resources to accurately control costs while better meeting consumer demand. We hope that domestic lyocell can replace viscose and other materials in the future. The cost reduction of fabrics with lyocell's special effects requires the joint efforts of many parties and is difficult to achieve in the short term.

CCFGroup: In the first two quarters of this year, the home textile field have achieved more than expected, especially lyocell home textile, which is a hot spot, what do you think the reason for this? Will this hot spot continue in the future? If we don't consider the limitation of raw material supply, how much lyocell do you think can be used in home textile field in the future? Can you tell us how much Mercury is willing to increase the percentage of lyocell products? Can you tell us what difficulties you encountered when you approached lyocell products? How did you solve them? What are the other difficulties and what cooperation do you expect from the upstream and downstream?

Shen Shoubing, Mercury Home Textiles: lyocell has been used in home textiles for quite a long time, but the development has been lukewarm and even showed downward trend because of the pandemic. With the improvement of the market environment, the sales volume increased significantly in the first quarter of 2023. Lyocell visibility is increasing, manufacturers and consumers on the recognition of lyocell is increasing. However, as home textile company, our material depends on the market, and the growth in the first quarter may be temporary. Lyocell is too slippery, easy to crease, and not as comfort as cotton. If used as the core of the comforter it will also slip and affect the experience. Lyocell is cooler, only suitable for summer use, but 80% of sales of bedding, especially the kit, comes from autumn and winter. From a comprehensive point of view, standing in the home textile industry, cotton is still the most cost-effective choice, with better consumer recognition and comfort are cotton, lyocell will not replace cotton in the home textile field. In addition, the size stability is not up to standard will cause losses. Lyocell production still has many technical difficulties waiting to be solved, and is almost impossible to completely replace other fibers, but can be substituted in certain areas, though there is a lower ceiling in the field of home textiles.