Mercerized cotton - high-quality and safe material that is great for knitting, toys or home accessories . Yarn is made by special technology that allows you to improve the properties of ordinary threads. Thanks to these features, finished products are best holding the form and serve longer.
What it is?
Mercerization technology appeared for quite a long time - in the second half of the XIX century. He was invented by John Mercer, in honor of which the method of processing cotton and got its name. Although technology and improved as technological progress, many processes became automated, but the main essence is preserved unchanged . To get a mercerized cotton, you need to go through several stages. First, the raw materials are taken - the fibers must be high quality. Often use Egyptian cotton and other elite varieties. The material is treated with a solution based on caustic soda and caustic soda. A chemical reaction with cellulose cells is occurring from it and consists of cotton.
It is this that improves the properties of the fibers, giving them the characteristic features for which the merserized material is valued. Processed cotton whiten and stained, picking up the desired tone depending on the desired palette. The final stage is firing with gas burners. This allows you to remove sticking pork, fibers become smooth and shiny. Raw materials that have been treated, twisted in the thread, if you need to get yarn for knitting, or cotton fabric is made from it.
If necessary, the soaping procedure in the solution is repeated - with the help of double merperization, the quality of the material can be improved.
Advantages and disadvantages
Processing affects the structure of cotton fibers, due to which they acquire new properties. You can select several advantages.
- Resistant staining . The cell walls of the fibers swell under the influence of the solution, as a result, the dye penetrates deeper, affecting not only the surface, but also other layers. As a result, the color remains longer, to a lesser extent is washed after the washed, remains saturated.
- Uniform shade. In the process of merserization, the fibers are straightened, and the paint goes well throughout the material. There are no bands, light spots and other defects.
- Strength . Under the influence of caustic cellulose, the cellulose is converted. Cotton becomes more durable.
- Gigroscopic . After processing, the material is better absorbing moisture.
- The absence of katoshkov. Lovely lumps appear due to the knocking fibers that are spilled together. After merserization, the thread becomes smooth, so such problems do not arise.
Due to the drying of raw materials under the tension, the finished yarn is less deformed, does not occur, and the products of it retain the attractive appearance longer and do not give shrinkage after washing.
There are also cons who are worth knowing, choosing threads for knitting.
- Shine . Such an effect occurs due to burner processing. Not everyone likes a brilliant cloth, in addition, sometimes it is "cheap" things.
- Minimal elasticity . Yarn practically does not stretch, it should be considered when creating clothes, especially if you plan to associate a model with a rubber band.
- Long drying. High hygroscopicity can be both a plus and minus. Mercerized cotton products are capable of chosen by a lot of moisture, but they do not dry.
- High price . The production process is quite expensive, moreover, elite cotton varieties are often used as raw materials - all this affects the price of finished products.
Despite some minuses, yarn has a lot of advantages, which allows you to create beautiful and durable products from it. Beginners are better to train with ordinary cotton - such threads are cheaper. Experienced masters will appreciate all the advantages of mercerized material.
What products can be associated?
Cotton canvas sew clothes and home textiles, yarn is no less in demand and suitable for different purposes.
- Production of children's toys. Natural material does not cause allergic reactions and safe for kids.
- Creating accessories . From this yarn, capes and belants, scarves and light caps are perfect.
- Knitting. Suitable for children's and adult models. The material is pleasant to the body, as well as well absorbs moisture, which is especially relevant in summer.
It is worth considering that the cotton stretches badly, so you need to carefully shoot the measurements if you plan to knit clothes with a fitting silhouette.
Care rules
Knitted products are better to erase in a certain way so that they retain the attractive look longer:
- The water temperature should not exceed 40 degrees;
- Do not use aggressive cleaning agents, also preferably a gel, and not powder - it is better washed away;
- You can wash in a typewriter, on a delicate mode, without pressing and automatic drying;
- When ironing, put on top of the product wet gauze.
These uncomplicated recommendations will help extend the service life of favorite things. Knitted products will retain a saturated color and will not lose the form if you care for them correctly.
