What Is Mercerized Cotton Yarn?
Mercerized cotton yarn is a type of cotton yarn that has been produced in a certain way that makes it stronger, more lustrous and less likely to shrink. It also makes the cotton mildew- and lint-resistant and helps it accept dye more readily, allowing for stronger, more brilliant colors. The mercerizing process was developed by John Mercer, a British chemist who patented the process in 1851, but the process was popularized by Horace Lowe in 1890 when he altered the process slightly in order to confer a high luster to the resulting fibers. This type of processed cotton yarn also is referred to as pearl yarn or pearle yarn.
