Mercerizing increases the tensile strength,
luster and dye affinity of the fabric. The
operation is accomplished by
impregnating the cotton fabric with cold
sodium hydroxide solution. This causes
swelling of the fibre, which resulted in an
increase in the dye intake. When increase
in tensile strength is the main criteria,
mercerizing is carried out in a tenter
frame. Waste generated at this step is
highly alkaline in nature. The fabric is
taken for mercerizing depending upon the
finishing requirements. This is done only
for cotton fabrics