How to identify mercerized cotton

Identification of mercerized cotton and linen

Both cotton and linen are natural cellulose fibers, but the morphological characteristics of the fibers are different. Therefore, qualitative and quantitative analysis is usually carried out by observing the cross-section and longitudinal direction under a microscope. detection (see Table 1). After mercerization, the cross-section and longitudinal characteristics of cotton fibers change greatly. The following is a discussion of the identification method of mercerized cotton and linen through the image comparison in Figures 4 to 10.

Comparison of cross-sectional characteristics

Since the cross-section of mercerized cotton is no longer round after expansion, and the middle cavity becomes smaller, it is similar to the cross-sectional shape of ramie and linen, so the mercerized cotton cannot be treated according to the The cross-sectional characteristics of cotton fibers in Table 1 are used for identification. By comparing Figures 4 to 6, it can be seen that the cross-sectional characteristics of mercerized cotton and ramie are significantly different. The middle cavity of ramie fiber is larger and the cracks are obvious. Both mercerized cotton and linen have smaller cross-sections, but the former has a higher roundness and a more uniform size.

Longitudinal Characteristics Comparison

The longitudinal characteristics of mercerized cotton are quite different from those of cotton fiber. After mercerization treatment, the unique natural twist of cotton fiber disappears, and the axial fineness of the fiber decreases. Uniform, and the longitudinal characteristics of ramie and sub-mercerized cotton are quite different from those of cotton fiber. After mercerization treatment, the unique natural twist of cotton fiber disappears, and the axial fineness of the fiber is uniform. Compared with ramie and linen, mercerized cotton has There are no horizontal or vertical lines in the longitudinal direction.