Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors.
Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker.

Responsive image


Polyester

Ester group (blue) which defines polyesters.
Close-up of a polyester shirt
SEM picture of a bend in a high-surface area polyester fiber with a seven-lobed cross section

Polyester is a category of polymers that contain the ester functional group in every repeat unit of their main chain.[1] As a specific material, it most commonly refers to a type called polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Polyesters include naturally occurring chemicals, such as in plants and insects, as well as synthetics such as polybutyrate. Natural polyesters and a few synthetic ones are biodegradable, but most synthetic polyesters are not. Synthetic polyesters are used extensively in clothing.

Polyester fibers are sometimes spun together with natural fibers to produce a cloth with blended properties. Cotton-polyester blends can be strong, wrinkle- and tear-resistant, and reduce shrinking. Synthetic fibers using polyester have high water, wind and environmental resistance compared to plant-derived fibers. They are less fire-resistant and can melt when ignited.[2]

Liquid crystalline polyesters are among the first industrially used liquid crystal polymers. They are used for their mechanical properties and heat-resistance. These traits are also important in their application as an abradable seal in jet engines.[3]

  1. ^ Köpnick H, Schmidt M, Brügging W, Rüter J, Kaminsky W (June 2000). "Polyesters". Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. Weinheim, Germany: Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.
  2. ^ Mendelson C (17 May 2005). Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9780743272865.
  3. ^ "Thermal Spray Abradable Coatings". www.gordonengland.co.uk. Retrieved 12 December 2018.

Previous Page Next Page