What is Mercerisation ?

Mercerisation :

Mercerisation is a treatment specific to cotton. It improves tensile strength, lustre, and ability
to take up dyes. Baths containing very concentrated solutions of sodium hydroxide (20- 30%)
are used (UBA 2003). These may either be reused or the NaOH recovered and employed in
other pre-treatment steps (IPPC 2003). If discharge is required then the alkali is neutralized,
leading to the discharge of large quantities of salt.