Egyptian cotton is considered the best in the world. And this is not surprising, because for its manufacture, high-quality natural ingredients, exclusively natural dyes, are used. Cotton yarn is an excellent choice for craftsmen who need to use environmentally friendly, safe materials.
What is the cotton mercerization procedure?
Not all cotton varieties are suitable for mercerization processing. In order to obtain a high quality fabric, the raw material must be of exceptional quality. Therefore, the procedure is subjected to mainly long-fiber elite variety of cotton.
Egyptian cotton is processed by mercerization as follows:
- Threads of the material are soaked in a weak solution of caustic soda. The progress of the process is controlled by automated systems that track the performance of the material as it is processed. As a result, Egyptian cotton acquires the ability to stain and becomes more durable.
- At the next stage, the whitening of the threads occurs, which allows you to neutralize the effect of alkaline-hydrogen solution. Next, the cotton yarn is dyed. Thus, the threads acquire a durable and rich color.
- 100% cotton is burned by gas burners. Thus, the threads acquire a cylindrical shape, their hairiness level decreases, the material acquires smoothness and attractive luster.
Material properties
In the process of mercerization from Egyptian cotton, natural fleece is eliminated, which allows to obtain shiny smooth threads. Therefore, one of the main advantages of the material is its similarity to silk.
Mercerized cotton products are extremely durable and at the same time have a supple, soft structure. Such a fabric does not fade in the sun and does not change the shade in bright light. The material is difficult to deform or tear during washing.
Due to the high level of hygroscopicity, fabrics from mercerized cotton are pleasant to the touch, perfectly manifest themselves during wear, do not cause irritation when in contact with the skin.
disadvantages
The disadvantages of mercerized cotton fabric include the occurrence of the effect of shrinkage of things after washing. In addition, such products dry for a long time.
Cotton yarn cannot be called elastic. Therefore, it is recommended to use it for the manufacture of paintings, uniform in structure, or things with openwork patterns.
The disadvantages of natural cotton yarn are corrected by adding acrylic, viscose, and polyester fibers to the structure of the material. In this way, truly lightweight durable fabrics are obtained.
How to identify Egyptian mercerized cotton?
When choosing yarn, it is extremely important to distinguish the material that has undergone special processing from ordinary cotton. Indeed, in the market there are often high-quality fakes. To determine the mercerized Egyptian cotton, you should resort to the following actions:
- When checking the yarn, pull the thread from the skein and set it on fire. The latter should burn without a trace. In this case, the smell resembles burnt paper.
- Crumple cotton fabric by holding it in your hand for a few seconds. If the material is severely crumpled, this is not real mercerized cotton.
- Run your hand over the surface of the material. Standard cotton leaves a rough feel. Mercerized fabric will be smooth.
As an additional factor, according to which the original material can be determined, its color acts. Mercerized yarn has bright, saturated colors.
In the end, Egyptian cotton, which has undergone special chemical processing, is much more expensive than ordinary material. Mercerization in itself is an expensive procedure. And the Egyptian cotton itself is notable for its increased cost, since its fibers are longer than conventional varieties.
Finally
Despite the rather high price, buying yarn in the form of Egyptian mercerized cotton is a good investment. Finished products from the presented material will amaze with their steady color, silky, smooth structure, excellent moisture permeability.