In the textile sector, the mercerization process is carried out with the aim of providing the cotton cylindrical swelling with a smooth cylindrical appearance and thus giving the surface smoothness and brightness to the cotton. Mercerizing treated fabrics have increased dye uptake and strength.

Mercerization is a pretreatment process. During the mercerization process, cotton fabrics are subjected to high alkaline solution (caustic) under high tension and in a cold environment. The temperature must be between 19-20 degrees. The high tension applied to cotton fabrics is due to preventing shrinkage, as well as to reduce some breakage in cellulose. With the help of the cylinders in the machine, suitable voltages are provided. The top rollers in the machine are rubber and the bottom rollers are steel. The machine also has clamping rollers. The mercerization time is 60 seconds. The fabric throughput rate varies from 20-40 meters per minute. This speed depends on the type and thickness of the fabric. During this period, weft and warp yarns of the fabric swell with the effect of caustic effect and mercerizing effect is gained to the fabric. After the mercerization process is completed, the fabric is washed.

Briefly, polishing of cotton yarns by physical and chemical methods is called merzing or mercerizing. Fabrics woven with ropes in this way are called mercerized fabrics. This name comes from Mercer, the first British chemist to perform this process. Fabrics made of mercerized yarns are bright, durable and flexible. They hardly leave paints at all. Therefore, it has a wide usage area.

Mercerization of cotton is carried out in authorized laboratories. The standard used in these studies is as follows:

·                    AATCC 89 Mercerization in cotton

This test method is a method for determining the mercerization properties of dyed and undyed cotton yarns and fabrics. This test result is also an indication of the completion of the reaction between the cotton and the mercerization bath.