Originally Posted by diamondee
I thought Mercerized was the chemical treatment put on the thread to accept the dye/color. Am I wrong? any thread with color would be mercerized.
Mercerized cotton is cotton thread (or cotton-covered thread with a polyester core) that has been treated with sodium hydroxide (NaOH).
The thread is given a caustic soda bath that is then neutralized with an acid bath.
This treatment increases strength, luster, affinity to dye and resistance to mildew, and also reduces lint.
Long staple fibre lengths respond best to mercerization.