Mercerized cotton

Mercerized cotton

Mercerization is a treatment for cotton fabric and thread that gives fabric a lustrous appearance. The process is applied to materials like cotton or hemp.

The process was devised in 1844 by John Mercer of Great Harwood, Lancashire, England, who treated cotton fibres with sodium hydroxide. The treatment caused the fibres to swell, which in Mercer's version of the process shrunk the overall fabric size and made it stronger and easier to dye. The process did not become popular, however, until H. A. Lowe improved it into its modern form in 1890. By holding the cotton during treatment to prevent it from shrinking, Lowe found that the fibre gained a lustrous appearance. [cite book | author = J. Gordon Cook | title = Handbook of Textile Fibres: Volume I: Natural Fibres | publisher = Woodhead | year = 1984 | pages = p. 68 | id = ISBN 1855734842] [cite web
last = Beaudet
first = Tom
title = What is Mercerized cotton?
publisher = FiberArts.org
date = 1999
url = http://fiberarts.org/design/articles/mercerized.html
accessdate = 2007-01-03]

The modern production method for mercerized cotton, also known as pearl or pearle cotton, gives cotton thread (or cotton-covered thread with a polyester core) a sodium hydroxide bath that is then neutralized with an acid bath. This treatment increases luster, strength, affinity to dye, resistance to mildew, but also increases affinity to lint. Cotton with long staple fiber lengths responds best to mercerization. Mercerized thread is commonly used to produce fine crochet.

References

External links

* [http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/MEC_MIC/MERCERIZING.html Online Encyclopedia - Mercerizing]


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  • mercerized cotton —    Cotton which has been strengthened by passing through a 25 to 30% solution of sodium hydroxide under tension, and then washed with water while under tension. This causes the fibers to shrink, increases their strength an attraction for colors,… …   Forensic science glossary

  • mercerized cotton — mer|cer|ized cot|ton also mercerised BrE [ˌmə:səraızd ˈkɔtn US ˌmə:rsəraızd ˈka:tn] n [U] cotton that has been treated with chemicals to make it shiny and strong …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • mercerized cotton — mer|cer|ized cot|ton [ ,mɜrsəraızd katn ] noun uncount cotton made strong and shiny by treating it with chemicals …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • mercerized cotton — noun (U) cotton that has been treated with chemicals to make it shiny and strong …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • Cotton — For other uses, see Cotton (disambiguation). Cotton Hi …   Wikipedia

  • mercerized — adjective of cotton thread that has been treated with sodium hydroxide to shrink it and increase its luster and affinity for dye mercerized cotton • Syn: ↑mercerised • Participle of verb: ↑mercerize (for: ↑mercerised), ↑mercerize …   Useful english dictionary

  • mercerized — (Amer.) adj. (of cotton) treated with sodium hydroxide that increases shine and strength (also mercerised) mercerize (Amer.) mer·cer·ize || mÉœrsÉ™raɪz / mɜːs v. (Textile) chemically treat fibers to strengthen them and improve their luster… …   English contemporary dictionary

  • cotton — noun ADJECTIVE ▪ 100%, pure ▪ a pure cotton T shirt ▪ light, thin ▪ She was shivering in her thin cotton dress ▪ …   Collocations dictionary

  • mercerized — adj. Mercerized is used with these nouns: ↑cotton …   Collocations dictionary

  • mercerized — adjective treat (cotton fabric or thread) under tension with caustic alkali to impart strength and lustre. → mercerize …   English new terms dictionary

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