Mercerized cotton: features and properties

Cotton is one of the oldest natural plant fibers on earth. They get it from cotton, the box-fruit of which opens and, together with the seeds, a fluff that looks like lumps of cotton wool appears. Cotton was first cultivated as a cultivated plant in India 7 thousand years ago. But only in the Middle Ages it became widespread in Europe. It is now impossible to imagine our daily life without products from this fiber - various fabrics, cotton, paper.

Mercerization is a short-term treatment of tissue with a concentrated solution of caustic soda. This technology got its name from the name of the English chemist John Mercer. This scientist in 1844 invented the process of enriching cotton fibers with sodium hydroxide. As a result of this, the fiber swelled, and the fabric became more durable, easily dyed, although it contracted in size. In 1890, another scientist - Horace Low - began to stretch the canvas so that it did not lose its size and brought this process to perfection.

The mercerization process consists of several stages and is fully automated. First, the yarn is processed with caustic soda - this is mercerization. Then the cotton fiber is dyed and bleached, while neutralizing the alkaline pH. The final stage is the burning of fiber in a gas burner so that it is freed from excess pile and becomes smooth and silky.

The best long and extra long fiber cotton is selected for mercerization, therefore, after this process, the fabric acquires the following remarkable qualities:

• becomes strong and wear-resistant, transfers a large number of washings;
• perfectly retains the shape of the product, does not form pellets;
• Gets bright saturated colors that do not fade or fade;
• acquires a beautiful noble shine;
• becomes soft and silky;
• hygroscopicity is even more fixed;
• hardly creases, easily ironed;
• Do not sit down during washing.

You will learn more about the properties of mercerized cotton by watching the following video.

From mercerized cotton sew everyday clothes: T-shirts, shirts, blouses, underwear. It is ideal for tailoring a variety of children's clothing. Bed sheets made of this wonderful material are comfortable and durable. Often mercerized fabrics are used for sewing home textiles: tablecloths, napkins, towels. And also from its fibers make yarn for hand and machine knitting.

This material has several advantages over regular cotton. They are as follows.

• Mercerized cotton is much stronger than ordinary cotton.
• Yarn from mercerized cotton can be easily dyed in any color. In addition, the paint lasts longer, does not fade from sunlight and does not fade for several years.
• Mercerized fabric perfectly absorbs moisture, which is very important for underwear, for example, T-shirts or underwear.
• To the touch, the processed fiber is more silky and pleasant than ordinary cotton, and has a beautiful sheen.
• Mercerized fabrics practically do not wrinkle, and after washing they never shrink tissue.

The disadvantages include only the high price of products made from this material. And this is natural, because only elite varieties of cotton are taken for mercerization. In addition, the processing process takes place on expensive equipment using expensive manufacturing technology.

There are several simple techniques for distinguishing 100% mercerized cotton from regular fabric.

1. Treated fabric always has a brighter color.
2. Outwardly, it is very similar to synthetic or silk fibers.
3. Swipe your hand across the surface of the fabric. Mercerized cotton products are smooth to the touch, while ordinary ones have roughness.
4. You can crush the edge of the fabric in the palm of your hand, and then sharply open the brush. Processed cotton will not hesitate. If you do the same with regular cotton, it will be badly wrinkled.
5. A string of mercerized cotton burns instantly to the bottom, and you will smell burnt paper.
6. If you wear a thing from mercerized fabric, then you will feel cool from it.

If the label of the item you bought says mercerized cotton or 100% mercerized cotton, then you got a beautiful and easy-to-care material. It is only necessary to wash and iron it at high temperatures.

Natural materials are much better than artificial ones, and cotton is rightly called "white gold". Mercerized cotton fabrics are bright, strong and durable. Using mercerization, you can create environmentally friendly natural material with excellent properties. Products from this material are very comfortable and easy to care for.Despite the high price, with proper care, things from this unique fabric will delight you with their beautiful appearance for a long time.