Polyester is a manufactured product, usually a textile, that is made from synthesizedpolymers.

It
tends to be very resilient, quick drying, resistant to biological damage such as mold and mildew,
easy to wash and able to hold forms well. Although polyester is often maligned as a textile, it has
many useful applications. It is, however, highly flammable, so care should be taken when wearing it.
Many synthetic fabrics are subject to flammability because they are made from polymers.
This substance is made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the same material that is used to
make plastic drink bottles. Many drink bottles are recycled by being reheated and turned into
polyester fibers, which, in addition to being an efficient use, also helps keep polymers out of landfills.
Polyester is a plastic that was invented in Britain in the early 1940s. In the 1950s, it became popular
as a textile because of its easy care, its drape and its versatility.
Chemical Process
To make polyester, ethylene glycol and dimethyl terephthalate are mixed together. The chemical
reaction results in bisterephthalate. This substance is heated to 270 degrees Fahrenheit (132
degrees Celsius), and it reacts again to form polyethylene terephthalate. Like many chemical
reactions that result in polymers, the polyester-making process results in unhealthy off-gassing, and
protection should be worn by anyone who is making PET. After synthesizing the polymers, the
manufacturer decides what to do with them.
PET can be formed into plastics that can later be recycled. It is a highly malleable material and
appears in all sorts of applications, such as drink bottles, food trays and hoses. PET can also be
used to make fibers that are used in products such as auto upholstery, quilt batting and clothing of
all sorts.
To make polyester fiber, an extruder is used to produce very fine threads of PET. Polyester clothing
tends to be slippery and silky in feel, although it can cause skin irritation for some wearers. This type
of fibers used to make clothing can be knitted or woven, although most are knit, to maximize the
flexibility of polyester. Some polyester is blended with other fabrics to provide more loft or stretch or
to minimize skin irritation.

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What is Polyester - History of

Polyester

S
crunch it, pull it, wash it without any wear and wrinkles. Thats what polyester became famous for.
Polyester was the fabric of choice in a changing economy of speed, efficiency and convenience. If the
food industry produced fries and coke, the textile industry supplemented it with Polyester quick, cheap
and easy.

Carothers Work
It was W.H.Carothers who discovered that alcohols and carboxyl acids could be successfully mixed to
create fibers. Carothers was working for duPont at the time and unfortunately when he discovered Nylon,
polyester took a back seat.

PET & Terylene

Carothers incomplete research had not advanced to investigating the polyester formed from mixing
ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid. It was British scientists Whinfield and Dickson who patented PET
or PETE in 1941. Polyethylene terephthalate forms the basis for synthetic fibers like Dacron, Terylene and
polyester.

In 1950, the Dealware property of duPont manufactured another

polyester fiber, which they named Dacron.
Later that year, the first polyester fiber Terylene was created by Whinfield and Dickson along with
Birtwhistle and Ritchiethey. Terylene was first manufactured by Imperial Chemical Industries or ICI.

DuPonts Role
It was in 1946 that duPont bought all legal rights from ICI. In 1950, the Dealware property of duPont
manufactured another polyester fiber, which they named Dacron. Mylar was introduced in 1952. Polyester
was first introduced to the American public in 1951 as the magical fabric that needed no ironing! PET and
PEN are duPont trademarks that have turned the use and consumption of Polyester around.

Polyester Becomes Popular

Subsequent to the development of Terylene and Dacron, Kodel was developed by Eastman Chemical
Products, Inc in 1958.
The polyester market underwent rapid expansion and textile mills emerged everywhere. Many of the mills
were located at small gas stations and produced cheap polyester apparel. The inexpensive and durable
fiber became very popular and the industry expanded rapidly till the 1970s. Unfortunately, the infamous
double-knit polyester image hit the industry and polyester soon came to be known as the uncomfortable
fabric.

The Phoenix Rises

Today, polyester is largely regarded as a cheap fabric that is rather uncomfortable for sensitive human
skin to wear.
However, the emergence of luxury fibers like polyester microfiber and various polyester blends the
industry is experiencing resurgence. The Tennessee Eastman Company and the Man-Made Fiber
Producers Associations (MMFPA) Polyester Fashion Council played a significant role in the revival of
polyester. The Tennessee Eastman Company started a YES campaign for polYESter and popularized it
via radio and television. The idea was to focus on the wash and go properties of polyester rather than sell
it as a cheap fabric.
Hoechst Fibers Industries also played a part. They conducted various studies from 1981 to 1983 and
found that 89% of people could not distinguish between polyester and other natural fibers like cotton, wool
and silk. Also, it was found that people were more interested in the appearance of the apparel than the
fabric it was made of.
Today, the biggest contributor to the appeal of polyester is the discovery of microfibers. Microfibers give
polyester the feel of silk and are rapidly becoming the choice of fabric. With an expensive tag to match,
the cheap image of polyester seems to be on its way out. Heres to heralding a new era in the history of
polyester!

http://www.whatispolyester.com/history.html

What is Polyester - Uses of

Polyester

P
olyester is the choice of fiber and fabric for many industries. It can be applied to a wide variety of useful
purposes.

Use of Polyester in Garments

Polyester is used in the manufacturing of all kinds of clothes and home furnishings like bedspreads,
sheets, pillows, furniture, carpets and even curtains. The disco clothing of the 70s with all its jazz and
flash was made of polyester.

Hydrophobic Nature
High tenacity and good durability makes polyester the choice of fabric for high stress outdoors use.
Polyester is also a strong fiber that is hydrophobic in nature. It is thus ideal for clothing to be used in wet
and damp environments. The fabric is also coated with a water-resistant finish and further intensifies the
hydrophobic nature.

The most common use of polyester today is to make the plastic

bottles that store our much beloved beverages.
Being the most heavily recycled polymer worldwide, it is also used by climbers. Climbing suits, parkas,
sleeping bags and other outdoor gear are using the new insulating polyester fiberfill products. One can
also do winter windsurfing wearing dry suits lined with polyester fleece.

Creating Insulation
By creating hollow fibers it is also possible to build insulation into the polyester fiber. Air is trapped inside
the fiber, which is then warmed by the heat of the body. This keeps the body warm in cold weather.
Another method to build insulation is to use crimped polyester in a fiberfill. The crimp helps keep the
warm air in. Polyester is an ideal fabric for this kind of insulation because it retains its shape. Cotton and
wool tend to flatten over a period of time and loose the warming effect.

Wrinkle Resitant
Polyester is also wrinkle resistant and is used very often in everyday clothing like pants, shirts, tops, skirts
and suits. Used either by itself or as a blend, it is also stain resistant and hence very popular.

Industrial Uses of Polyester

While clothing used to be the most popular use of polyester and which made it a household name
worldwide, there are many other uses polyester is put to.

PET: The most common use of polyester today is to make the plastic bottles that store our much
beloved beverages. Shatterproof and cheap these bottles are an absolute boon to the beverages

industry.
Mylar: An unusual and little known use of polyester is in the manufacturing of balloons. Not the
rubber kind that you use for water balloons but the really pretty decorated ones that are gifted on
special occasions. These are made of Mylar a kind of polyester film manufactured by DuPont. The

balloons are made of a composite of Mylar and aluminum foil.

Miscellaneous: Polyester is also used to manufacture high strength ropes, thread, hoses, sails,
floppy disk liners, power belting and much more in industries.

Thus, polyester has many uses for homes and industries as well.

http://www.whatispolyester.com/uses.html

What is Polyester - Manufacturing

of Polyester

A
The process of manufacturing polyester is fascinating. It is an artificial man-made fiber. Polyesters are
generally manufactured from petroleum from which the constituent acids and alcohols are derived.
There are three steps in the synthesizing of polyester.
1.

Condensation Polymerization: When acid and alcohol are reacted in a vacuum at high
temperatures it results in condensation polymerization. Once the polymerization has occurred the

material is extruded onto a casting trough in the form of a ribbon. Once cool, the ribbon hardens
and is cut into chips.
2.

Melt-spun Fiber: The chips are dried completely. Hopper reservoirs are then used to melt the
chips. A unique feature of polyester is that it is melt-spun fiber. The chips are heated, extruded
through spinnerets and cools upon hitting the air. It is then loosely wound around cylinders.

3.

Drawing: The fibers consequently formed are hot stretched to about five times their original
length. This helps to reduce the fiber width. This fiber is now ready and would into cones as
filaments. It can also be crimped and cut into staple lengths as per requirements.

Different Types Of Polyester

There are several processes that can be carried out on the base polyester fiber. These processes add
dimension to the polyester fiber as required for various end uses.

Normal polyester fiber is long and smooth. Crimping it can give

the fiber more bulk and texture and increase its insulation
capabilities.
Polyester is a bright fiber by nature. However, it can be made dull or semi-dull by adding a delusterant. By
changing the shape of the spinneret also, the hand and the strength of the fiber can be changed. Most
spinnerets are circular. However, square, oval and bean-shaped fibers are also produced sometimes.
Hollow fibers can also be created.
Polyester fiber is generally drawn to about five times its original length. However, drawing it out further
makes it thinner. This is how the latest microfibers are being manufactured. Dyeing can give desired
colors of polyester fiber. Normal polyester fiber is long and smooth. Crimping it can give the fiber more
bulk and texture and increase its insulation capabilities.

Using Polyester
Once the polyester fiber is ready it is used to make filament and spun yarns. The yarns can be blended
with other fibers to make various blended fabrics.
Polyester and cotton are a popular combination. Wool and rayon are also blended with polyester to make
fabrics.

olyester is a term often defined as long-chain polymers chemically composed of at least 85% by weight
of an ester and a dihydric alcohol and a terephthalic acid. In other words, it means the linking of several
esters within the fibers. Reaction of alcohol with carboxylic acid results in the formation of esters.
Polyester also refers to the various polymers in which the backbones are formed by the esterification
condensation of polyfunctional alcohols and acids.
Polyester can also be classified as saturated and unsaturated polyesters.
Saturated polyesters refer to that family of polyesters in which the polyester backbones are saturated.
They are thus not as reactive as unsaturated polyesters. They consist of low molecular weight liquids
used as plasticizers and as reactants in forming urethane polymers, and linear, high molecular weight
thermoplastics such as polyethylene terephthalate (Dacron and Mylar). Usual reactants for the saturated
polyesters are a glycol and an acid or anhydride.
Unsaturated polyesters refer to that family of polyesters in which the backbone consists of alkyl
thermosetting resins characterized by vinyl unsaturation. They are mostly used in reinforced plastics.
These are the most widely used and economical family of resins.

Characteristics of Polyester

Polyester fabrics and fibers are extremely strong.

Polyester is very durable: resistant to most chemicals, stretching and shrinking, wrinkle resistant,

mildew and abrasion resistant.

Polyester is hydrophobic in nature and quick drying. It can be used for insulation by

manufacturing hollow fibers.

Polyester retains its shape and hence is good for making outdoor clothing for harsh climates.

It is easily washed and dried.

Uses of Polyester
The most popular and one of the earliest uses of polyester was to make polyester suits all the rage in
the 70s. Polyester clothes were very popular. Due to its strength and tenacity polyester was also used to
make ropes in industries. PET bottles are today one of the most popular uses of polyester.

http://www.whatispolyester.com/

Polyester is a synthetic fiber derived from coal, air, water, and petroleum. Developed in a
20th-century laboratory, polyester fibers are formed from a chemical reaction between
an acid and alcohol. In this reaction, two or more molecules combine to make a large
molecule whose structure repeats throughout its length. Polyester fibers can form very
iong molecules that are very stable and strong.
Polyester is used in the manufacture of many products, including clothing, home
furnishings, industrial fabrics, computer and recording tapes, and electrical insulation.
Polyester has several advantages over traditional fabrics such as cotton. It does not
absorb moisture, but does absorb oil; this quality makes polyester the perfect fabric for
the application of water-, soil-, and fire-resistant finishes. Its low absorbency also makes
it naturally resistant to stains. Polyester clothing can be preshrunk in the finishing
process, and thereafter the fabric resists shrinking and will not stretch out of shape. The
fabric is easily dyeable, and not damaged by mildew. Textured polyester fibers are an
effective, nonallergenic insulator, so the material is used for filling pillows, quilting,
outerwear, and sleeping bags.

History
In 1926, United States-based E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co. began research into
very large molecules and synthetic fibers. This early research, headed by W.H.
Carothers, centered on what became nylon, the first synthetic fiber. Soon after, in the
years 1939-41, British research chemists took interest in the du Pont studies and
conducted their own research in the laboratories of Calico Printers Association, Ltd. This
work resulted in the creation of the polyester fiber known in England as Terylene.

In 1946, du Pont purchased the right to produce this polyester fiber in the United States.
The company conducted some further developmental work, and in 1951, began to
market the fiber under the name Dacron. During the ensuing years, several companies
became interested in polyester fibers and produced their own versions of the product for
different uses. Today, there are two primary types of polyester, PET (polyethylene
terephthalate) and PCDT (poly-1, 4-cyclohexylene-dimethylene terephthalate). PET, the
more popular type, is applicable to a wider variety of uses. It is stronger than PCDT,
though PCDT is more elastic and resilient. PCDT is suited to the heavier consumer
uses, such as draperies and furniture coverings. PET can be used alone or blended with
other fabrics to make clothing that is wrinkle and stain resistant and retains its shape.

Raw Materials
Polyester is a chemical term which can be broken into poly, meaning many, and ester, a
basic organic chemical compound. The principle ingredient used in the manufacture of
polyester is ethylene, which is derived from petroleum. In this process, ethylene is
the polymer, the chemical building block of polyester, and the chemical process that
produces the finished polyester is called polymerization.

The Manufacturing
Process
Polyester is manufactured by one of several methods. The one used depends on the
form the finished polyester will take. The four basic forms are filament, staple, tow, and
fiberfill. In the filament form, each individual strand of polyester fiber is continuous in
length, producing smooth-surfaced fabrics. In staple form, filaments are cut to
short, predetermined lengths. In this form polyester is easier to blend with other fibers.
Tow is a form in which continuous filaments are drawn loosely together. Fiberfill is the
voluminous form used in the manufacture of quilts, pillows, and outerwear. The two
forms used most frequently are filament and staple.

Manufacturing Filament Yarn

Polymerization

1 To form polyester, dimethyl terephthalate is first reacted with ethylene glycol in the
presence of a catalyst at a temperature of 302-410F (150-210C).

2 The resulting chemical, a monomer (single, non-repeating molecule) alcohol, is

combined with terephthalic acid and raised to a temperature of 472F (280C). Newlyformed polyester, which is clear and molten, is extruded through a slot to form long
ribbons.

Drying

3 After the polyester emerges from polymerization, the long molten ribbons are allowed
to cool until they become brittle. The material is cut into tiny chips and completely dried
to prevent irregularities in consistency.

Melt spinning

4 Polymer chips are melted at 500-518F (260-270C) to form a syrup-like solution. The
solution is put in a metal container called a spinneret and forced through its tiny holes,

which are usually round, but may be pentagonal or any other shape to produce special
fibers. The number of holes in the spinneret determines the size of the yarn, as the
emerging fibers are brought together to form a single strand.

5 At the spinning stage, other chemicals may be added to the solution to make the
resulting material flame retardant, antistatic, or easier to dye.

Drawing the fiber

6 When polyester emerges from the spinneret, it is soft and easily elongated up to five
times its original length. The stretching forces the random polyester molecules to align in
a parallel formation. This increases the strength, tenacity, and resilience of the fiber. This
time, when the filaments dry, the fibers become solid and strong instead of brittle.

7 Drawn fibers may vary greatly in diameter and length, depending on the characteristics
desired of the finished material. Also, as the fibers are drawn, they may be textured or
twisted to create softer or duller fabrics.

Winding

8 After the polyester yarn is drawn, it is wound on large bobbins or flat-wound packages,
ready to be woven into material.

Manufacturing Staple Fiber

In making polyester staple fiber, polymerization, drying, and melt spinning (steps 1-4
above) are much the same as in the manufacture of filament yarn. However, in the melt
spinning process, the spinneret has many more holes when the product is staple fiber.
The rope-like bundles of polyester that emerge are called tow.

Drawing tow

1 Newly-formed tow is quickly cooled in cans that gather the thick fibers. Several lengths
of tow are gathered and then drawn on heated rollers to three or four times their original
length.

Crimping

2 Drawn tow is then fed into compression boxes, which force the fibers to fold like an
accordion, at a rate of 9-15 crimps per inch (3-6 per cm). This process helps the fiber
hold together during the later manufacturing stages.

Setting

3 After the tow is crimped, it is heated at 212-302F (100-150C) to completely dry the
fibers and set the crimp. Some of the crimp will unavoidably be pulled out of the fibers
during the following processes.

Cutting

4 Following heat setting, tow is cut into shorter lengths. Polyester that will be blended
with cotton is cut in 1.25-1.50 inch (3.2-3.8 cm) pieces; for rayon blends, 2 inch (5 cm)
lengths are cut. For heavier fabrics, such as carpet, polyester filaments are cut into 6
inch (15 cm) lengths.

The Future
Following its introduction to the United States in 1951, polyester quickly became the
country's fastest-growing fiber. Easy care of the permanent press fabric made polyester
doubleknits extremely popular in the late 1960s. However, polyester has suffered an
"image problem" since that time, and clothes made out of polyester were often devalued
and even ridiculed. Several new forms of polyester introduced in the early 1990s may
help revitalize the image of polyester. A new form of polyester fiber, called microfiber,
was introduced to the public in 1991. More luxurious and versatile than traditional
polyester, microfiber fabrics are difficult to tell apart from silk fabrics. Clothing designers
such as Mary McFadden have created a line of clothes using this new form of polyester.
Textile researchers at North Carolina State University are developing a form of polyester
that may be as strong as Kevlar, a superfiber material used to make bulletproof vests.
This type of polyester may eventually be used as composite materials for cars and
airplanes.

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