PolyesterManmade Fiber

History…• Polyester began as a group of polymers in W.H. Carothers’

laboratory• Carothers was working for duPont at the time when he

discovered that alcohols and carboxyl acids could be successfully combined to form fibers

• Polyester was put on the back burner, however, once Carothers discovered nylon

• A group of British scientists– J.R. Whinfield, J.T. Dickson, W.K. Birtwhistle, and C.G. Ritchie– took up Carothers’ work in 1939

• In 1941 they created the first polyester fabric called Terylene• In 1946 duPont bought all legal rights from the Brits and came

up with another polyester fiber which they named Dacron

• Polyester was first introduced to the American public in 1951– It was advertised as a miracle fiber that could be worn for

68 days straight without ironing and still look presentable• In 1958 another polyester fiber called Kodel was

developed by Eastman Chemical Products, Inc.• The polyester market kept expanding since it was

such was such an inexpensive and durable fiber• Polyester experienced a constant growth until the

1970s when sales drastically declined due to the negative public image that emerged in the late 60s as a result of the infamous polyester double-knit fabric

Advantages

• Easily dyed• Strong• Light weight• Resistant to:– Shrinking– Stretching– Mildew– Creasing

– Fading from the sun• Easy to care for• Offered in many

forms- knits, jerseys or cottons, and silk-like fabrics

Disadvantages

• No breathe• Fabric shine can be

unattractive• Stains are difficult to

remove• Retains body heat and

moisture like sweat• Not as comfortable as

some of the natural fibers

• Can cause rashes and skin irritation on those with sensitive skin

• Not environmentally friendly

Care• Use warm water on normal cycle in washing machine• Add fabric softener before the final rinse cycle- polyester

is sensitive to static electricity and fabric softner will help prevent that

• Machine dry at a low/lowest temperature setting for about 10 minutes to remove wrinkles- polyester does shrink, so avoid heat as much as possible

• Hang or lay the garment out for the completion of the drying time- if the garment becomes to dry in the dryer it may shrink so it is better to air dry

• If ironing is needed, use a moderately warm iron- if the iron is too hot it will burn the polyester

My Collection…