The History of Polyester (2024)

FAQs

How was polyester discovered? ›

Polyester fabrics got their beginnings back in the mid-1930s when a man by the name of W.H. Carothers, a DuPont employee at the time, discovered that he could create fibers by mixing carboxyl acids and alcohols.

Derived from non-renewable petrochemicals

Polyester is a synthetic fiber, but its raw materials still come from nature. Most polyester is made out of petroleum, a natural non-renewable resource. Right now, we're using up petroleum much faster than it can be produced in nature.

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 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.

Polyester fibers are three times finer than silk and can be woven very tightly into super small-pored fabrics that are windproof and waterproof. The fabric remains breathable and is also very light, heat-resistant and wrinkle-resistant.

As an oil-based plastic, polyester does not biodegrade like natural fibres. Rather it stays in landfills for several decades at least – and potentially for hundreds of years.

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 easy to blend with other fibers.

Brands have gravitated toward polyester because it's often a more affordable and easier textile to get ahold of than natural fibers.

Drawing on earlier research by American organic chemist Wallace Carothers, they developed Terylene (also known as Dacron), which became popular in the 1950s for its durability and resilience. Polyester grew in popularity until the 1970s, where it fell out of favor because of the coarseness of the material.

Polyester is often used in pants, shirts, suits, and bed sheets either by itself or as a blend, because of its wrinkle-resistant property and its ability to retain its shape. Since these garments are frequently worn and washed, its stain-resistancy and durability are also desireable.

Who is the largest producer of polyester in the world? ›

China is the major exporter of polyester to the U.S., India, Vietnam and many more countries.

Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries (RIL) largest manufacturer of polyester in the country, having an annual capacity of 2 million tonnes…

Polyester plastic was discovered in a DuPont lab in the late 1930s, but scientist W. H. Caruthers set it aside to work on his newly discovered nylon. A group of British scientists applied Caruthers' work in 1941 and created the first commercial polyester fiber in 1941 called Terylene.

Special Features

Crisp, soft hand. Resistant to stretching and shrinkage. Washable or dry-cleanable. Quick drying.

Acrylic , Terylene is a popular polyester which is used in dress materials.

Skin exposure to Polyester can cause rashes, itching, redness, eczema, dermatitis, blistering or make existing skin problems worse for those with sensitive skin, up to 3 days later. Heat releases Polyester chemicals like Antimony oxide Sb2O3, which is used to make Polyester and is a known carcinogen.

Examples include polyester shirts, polyester jackets, polyester pants, and polyester hats. Polyester is also employed in the manufacture of many home furnishing materials such as bedsheets, curtains, blankets, and pillowcases. Polyester is also used in upholstered furniture.

Polyester fiber was originally developed for mass consumption by the DuPont Corporation, which also developed other popular synthetic fibers like nylon.

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.

Globally, polyester is by far the greatest man-made fibre. It is the workhorse for many, many applications because of its generally good properties at the lowest price. Apparel accounts for a large share of usage of polyester fibres or as blends.

What were clothes made of before polyester? ›

Although many clothes, especially coats, were still made out of leather or fur, most clothes were made out of wool (from sheep) or linen (from the flax plant), hemp or cotton. Some rich people wore silk.

Polyester is a synthetic material which has many toxic chemicals embedded in it. Manufacturers try to promote the benefits of Polyester. But, there are many health risks associated to Polyester which are unacceptable. Indeed, Polyester should be avoided as much as possible.

Polyester is uncomfortable and hot. Because it's essentially a plastic, wearing it on a hot day means your sweat gets trapped between the fabric and your skin, making you hotter. Unlike natural fabrics like cotton or wool that wick moisture away from the skin to keep you dry, polyester will leave you damp.

Cotton and polyester couldn't be more different. Cotton is natural, breathable, absorbent, and sustainable. Polyester, on the other hand, is a synthetic fiber that doesn't breathe well, repels water, and isn't sustainable.

Some of the oldest excavated fabrics have been traced back to civilizations that existed thousands of years ago. The oldest clothing item recorded is the linen Tarkhan dress from Egypt's first Dynasty approximately 5,000 years ago.

1891—the first man-made fabric, an artificial silk, is made from natural cellulose derived from wood pulp or cotton rags. 1900—the Shah of Persia forbids the use of analine dyes for rugs. 1910—artificial silk is first produced commercially in the United States.

The Medieval Period, or Middle Ages, is regarded as the time between the fall of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance, or the 5th – 15th centuries. While a vast period, there are so few surviving garments from this time period that they, like archeological dress, are generally looked at by object, not collection.