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Modal® is a specialty fiber made by spinning the reconstituted cellulose from the beech tree. Modal® is about 50% more hygroscopic, or water-absorbent per unit volume, than cotton is. Modal® does not fibrillate, or pill, like cotton does, has very little shrinkage and resists fading much better. Modal® is extremely smooth and soft, more so than even mercerized cotton, to the point where mineral deposits from hard water, such as lime, do not stick to the fabric surface.
In the United States, it is starting to be used by itself in household linens such as towels, bathrobes, and sheets. Bed Bath & Beyond®, for example, sells its newly-released Modal® sheets under the name Pure Beech™.
Indian textile companies, in particular, have taken to Modal®, and are expected to produce around 4000 tons of it in 2005.
Modal® is a registered trademark of Lenzing AG, an Austrian company specializing in textiles and fibers, particularly natural fibers made from cellulose.
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