Industry knowledge
What is polyester fabric and what are its main characteristics?
Strength and Durability: Polyester fabric is highly resistant to stretching, shrinking, and wrinkling. It is known for its excellent tensile strength, which makes it resistant to tearing and abrasion.
Wrinkle Resistance: Polyester fabric is inherently wrinkle-resistant, making it a popular choice for clothing that requires minimal ironing or maintains a smooth appearance throughout the day.
Quick Drying: Polyester has low moisture absorbency, allowing it to dry quickly when wet. This feature makes it suitable for swimwear, sportswear, and outdoor clothing.
Colorfastness: Polyester fabric has excellent color retention properties. It resists fading from exposure to sunlight, washing, and general wear, allowing garments to maintain their vibrant colors for a long time.
Easy Care: Polyester fabric is relatively easy to care for. It is machine washable, dries quickly, and often does not require ironing, making it convenient for everyday use.
Versatility: Polyester fabric can be produced in various weights and textures, ranging from lightweight and sheer to heavy and thick. It can mimic the appearance and texture of natural fibers such as silk or cotton, providing a wide range of options for different applications.
Moisture Wicking: Some polyester fabrics are engineered to have moisture-wicking properties. These fabrics draw moisture away from the skin, allowing it to evaporate quickly, which helps in keeping the body cool and dry during physical activities.
Resistance to Mildew and Moths: Polyester fabric is resistant to mildew, mold, and attacks from moths or other insects, making it a suitable choice for outdoor upholstery, camping gear, and curtains.
How is polyester fabric made and what are the raw materials used in its production?
Purification of Raw Materials: Ethylene, derived from crude oil or natural gas, undergoes a purification process to remove impurities and obtain a high-purity ethylene monomer.
Production of Polymer: The ethylene monomer is combined with either terephthalic acid (TPA) or dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) in a reactor. This combination undergoes a chemical reaction called esterification or transesterification to produce a polyester polymer.
Polymer Melt: The polyester polymer is then heated and melted into a liquid form, creating a viscous mass.
Extrusion: The molten polyester is forced through spinnerets, which are small holes or slits in a spinneret plate. As the polymer passes through the spinnerets, it solidifies and forms long continuous filaments.
Cooling and Solidification: The newly formed filaments are cooled rapidly to solidify them into individual polyester fibers.
Drawing: The solidified fibers undergo a drawing process, where they are stretched to align the polymer chains and increase their strength and durability.
Texturing (Optional): Some polyester fibers may undergo a texturing process to introduce crimps or twists, giving the fabric a more natural, textured appearance.
Finishing: The polyester fibers are then subjected to various finishing processes, such as heat setting, dyeing, printing, and application of chemical treatments, to enhance their performance, appearance, and desired characteristics.