Continuous mercerisation of loose-stock cotton without fiber shrinkage

A disadvantage of the developed continuous sliver mercerising is the wet-processing of cotton fibre only after it has already passed through the early-stages of physical processing - ginning, carding, drawing - to form the (blended) fibre in sliver form. In the process, the fibres suffer length degradation by breakage of weak fibres and the resulting continuity and evenness of the sliver is compromised necessitating further blending and drawing to re-establish uniformity. This investment aims to extend the mercerisation process to allow loose stock to be processed immediately following ginning. Proven technology and methods of continuous fiber mercerisation will be further developed by a new processing design to maximise the treatment of loose stock straight from the gin. Such a process would produce a new and attractive form of early-stage processed cotton that could subsequently be carded, gilled and drawn into slivers for yarn production without the need for reprocessing (eg drawing) the sliver prior to spinning.