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Compared with ordinary cotton fabric, how is the breathability of this modal/lyocell stretch knitted fabric?

2025-07-11

Modal and Lyocell are both regenerated cellulose fibers derived from natural wood pulp, but after high-tech processing, their breathability and moisture absorption and perspiration performance are superior to ordinary cotton fabrics.

Modal/lyocell fibers are made of high-purity wood pulp, with a more uniform fiber structure and a smoother surface, which can form a more orderly microscopic pore structure. Lyocell uses solvent spinning technology, and the fiber cross-section is round or oval, and the breathable channel is more unobstructed. After absorbing moisture, the fiber swells moderately and will not block the pores due to excessive water absorption like cotton.

The surface of natural cotton fiber has distortion and natural impurities (such as cotton wax), and the fiber cross-section is irregular waist round, and the breathability depends on the natural gaps between fibers. After absorbing moisture, cotton fibers will swell, causing the fabric structure to become tighter and the breathability to decrease (especially in a humid environment).

It absorbs moisture faster (Lyocell's moisture absorption is about 50% higher than cotton), can quickly absorb sweat from the skin surface and evaporate to the outer layer, reducing the feeling of stuffiness. It has stronger moisture conductivity, sweat is not easy to be retained, keeps the fabric dry, and indirectly improves the breathability experience.

It has good moisture absorption, but slow moisture discharge, and sweat is easily adsorbed inside the fiber, causing the fabric to become heavier and adhere to the skin, especially in sports or high temperature environments. The breathability becomes worse.

This fabric uses a stretch knitted structure (such as plain weave, mesh, etc.), which is more elastic and has a higher porosity than ordinary cotton woven fabrics (such as woven cotton cloth), which further promotes air circulation. If spandex is added, it can still maintain good breathability, while cotton + spandex blends may cause the elasticity to decrease and the breathability to weaken due to the expansion of cotton fibers.

Nantong Tianhong Textile Technology Co., Ltd.
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