Cotton products are valuable for their ecological and hypoallergenic properties. Today, manufacturers focus on creating products from mercerized cotton. This material has the properties of regular cotton, but all its characteristics are significantly improved. Knitting enthusiasts especially appreciate mercerized thread. The textile industry uses such fabric for sewing bed linen and clothing. Mercerized cotton - what is it and why is it increasingly preferred to regular cotton material?
History of cotton production development
Cotton fabric has been produced for thousands of years, and today it remains one of the most popular natural materials. Cotton was first grown in prehistoric times, as evidenced by archaeological excavations. The history of the material begins on the banks of the Indus, where ancient people already knew how to cultivate cotton.
Several hundred years before our era, cotton production appeared in Mexico. Then, people learned to make natural fabric in Europe and the Greco-Roman Empire, and from there it spread to Western countries. Active cultivation of the crop was observed in America from the moment of its discovery. Millions of slaves worked on cotton plantations at that time.
Today, cotton is the most widely grown crop. It is planted on five continents, in more than 80 countries. Cotton fabric accounts for 40% of the total fabric production. And this is more than silk and wool. There are about 50 types of cotton in the world.
Until the 19th century, cotton was picked and the fibers were cleaned manually, so the material was very expensive. Then a special machine was invented that quickly and efficiently cleaned the fibers from seeds. Since then, the amount of processed raw materials has increased many times. In addition, cotton picking also became mechanical.
The purified fibers are twisted and pressed, and various products are made from them. The seeds are not thrown away. Some of them are used to replant cotton, and some are used to produce cottonseed oil, which is used in food. The cake from processing is enriched with proteins. It is used to feed livestock. The result is waste-free production.
Popularity of cotton mercerization
Until recently, almost no one knew anything about cotton mercerization. Now this material with special processing is gaining huge popularity due to its improved properties. Products made of mercerized cotton are visually and technologically significantly superior to ordinary cotton, so today clothes and bed linen made of mercerized cotton fabric are preferred by consumers. The reason for this are the following advantages of the material:
- High strength. Treated cotton is stronger than regular cotton.
- The product hardly wrinkles and does not shrink after washing.
- Mercerized raw materials are easier to dye and hold their color reliably, meaning they do not fade or shed over time.
- The thread has a smooth and silky surface, which has an excellent effect on the appearance of the finished product.
- Clothes and bedding have increased hygroscopicity, which is very important for hot seasons.
Mercerized products are somewhat more expensive than regular cotton fabrics, since the processing itself is quite expensive. Usually, elite varieties of the crop are subjected to mercerization. Mercerized merino and Egyptian cotton products are most often produced.
Mercerization process
Cotton becomes mercerized after undergoing a special process called "mercerization". This process was named after the English inventor John Mercer.
Mercerization is a short-term treatment of cotton thread with a sodium hydroxide solution, which contains caustic soda and caustic soda. With the help of this chemical solution, the thread acquires additional strength and shine.
Mercerization was developed by Mercer in 1844. During the process, the fiber swells, gaining additional elasticity and smoothness. But at the same time, the overall volume of the material was reduced. The technology became more or less popular only 50 years later, after a certain Lowe refined it to the form in which it is known today. The essence of the refinement was that after mercerization, the cotton thread does not shrink.
The processing process consists of three stages:
- mercerization - alkalization of cotton with an alkaline solution. The technology is fully automated, so the fabric acquires the best qualities;
- bleaching the thread and further dyeing;
- burning mercerized thread with a gas burner to reduce fluffiness.
The result is shiny, durable threads with a smooth surface that do not lose their volume after WTO.
Double mercerization
You can often hear the phrase "double mercerization", and in production today, double mercerization cotton is often used. The essence of this process is to increase the quality properties of the material.
Mercerization can be carried out at all stages of production: before twisting the fiber, in the state of yarn, thread or fabric. Even finished products are mercerized. Re-processing depends on the qualities the product should have. Usually, double mercerization is used to achieve increased strength and brightness of the product.
Properties of cotton thread after processing
Mercerization can highlight the beneficial properties of cotton. After special technological processing, consumers highlight the following qualities of the material:
- Mercerized cotton becomes shinier;
- it can be easily painted in bright colours that do not lose their saturation over time;
- the material does not fade;
- the fabric becomes soft and silky;
- the product absorbs moisture well;
- strength properties increase;
- the fabrics practically do not wrinkle or shrink after washing;
- the surface of the product does not have the fleece that is present on ordinary cotton threads;
- Clothes labeled cotton are easy to iron.
This processing technology improves the quality of raw materials, the appearance of the product and the performance properties of the material.
How to distinguish mercerized fabric from ordinary fabric
Since mercerization changes the structure of the fiber and its external characteristics, it is not difficult to distinguish the processed material from simple cotton:
- run your hand over the fabric - plain cotton is rough, while mercerized cotton is smooth to the touch;
- crush the product - untreated cotton will crumple, mercerized cotton will remain practically unchanged;
- visually, mercerized fabric will look brighter and more saturated.
These are the methods for determining processed thread that absolutely anyone can use when buying a cotton product.
Scope of application
Mercerized cotton is free of significant disadvantages, which allows it to be used in a wide variety of textile industries. It is a raw material for sewing:
- children's clothing;
- bed linen;
- clothing items for adults, in particular underwear, T-shirts, vests, dresses, suits, etc.;
- Children's accessories.
The main disadvantage of such fabric is its high cost. This is due to the fact that the mercerization process occurs with the help of expensive equipment and consumables.
Important! As with genuine leather, the price of the item can be justified if the product is properly cared for. In this case, clothing made of mercerized cotton will last longer and will not lose its properties and appearance.
Manufacturers of bed linen often use boiled cotton. This material has an exquisite crumple that does not need to be ironed. So what is boiled cotton? It is nothing more than ordinary cotton fabric. Bed linen is sewn from it, which is then treated with hot water. As a result, the product acquires light soft folds, the fabric becomes soft, durable and pleasant to the touch. It also retains heat well. At the same time, the linen does not require ironing.
Yarn made of processed cotton is very popular among knitters. On the Russian market, the legendary "Iris" and "Kamtex" are considered to be bright representatives of mercerized yarn. Products knitted from such threads do not deform, do not fade and do not shrink. Therefore, the yarn is more suitable for home knitting and crocheting. A skein of such threads often contains about 50% bamboo in addition to cotton. This increases the strength properties of the yarn.
Care of cotton products
An interesting property of cotton material is that in its new state it has a certain rigidity. But after the first wash it becomes softer and more pleasant to the touch. And in the process of wearing it the softness will only increase.
Clothing or bed linen made of mercerized cotton does not require special care. Washing at high temperatures and even ironing are allowed, although the latter is not necessary, since the fabric hardly wrinkles.
When caring for knitted items, it is worth following some rules:
- It is not recommended to wring out or dry items in the machine;
- aggressive detergents should be avoided;
- the water temperature for washing should not exceed 40 degrees;
- The product must be ironed through a damp cloth at a temperature of up to 150 degrees.
Simple rules for washing and ironing items made of mercerized cotton will prolong the life and attractive appearance of the material, making them more durable. In this case, its high cost will be justified.
Mercerized cotton is the result of human ingenuity and the generosity of nature. Such an ancient and useful bush as cotton has given people wealth, beauty and comfort for many centuries. And today, thanks to mercerization, humanity has learned to extend the life of cotton items, making the product more durable, brighter, more practical and economically advantageous.
