Polyester is a synthetic fiber derived from coal, air, water, and petroleum.  Polyester is used in the manufacturing of many products, including clothing, home furnishings, industrial fabrics, computer and recording tapes, and electrical insulation. 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. . 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.  Polyester also refers to the various polymers in which the backbones are formed by the esterification condensation of poly functional alcohols and acids.

History:  In the 20’s Wallace Carothers was considered the father of the science of man-made polymers and the man responsible for the invention of nylon and neoprene. DuPont chemical company opened a research laboratory for the development of artificial materials and Wallace Carothers move to DuPont to lead their research division.  In 1931 Carothers team started manufacturing neoprene a synthetic rubber created by his team at DuPont.  Then they turned their efforts into creating synthetic fibers to replace silk.  Japan was United States main source of silk trade.  Wallace Carothers made a huge break when creating synthetic silk by combining chemicals amine hex methylene diamine and adipic acid to create a new fiber formed by the polymerizing process and known as a condensation reaction. In a condensation reaction, individual molecules join with water as a byproduct. In 1935, Carothers found a strong polyamide fiber that stood up well to both heat and solvents. He evaluated more than 100 different polyamides before choosing one

[nylon] for development.  A lab assistant working with esters – compounds which yield an acid and an alcohol or phenol in reaction with water – discovered a very strong polymer that could be drawn into a fiber. Polyester fiber had a low melting point.  On January 8, 1937, Carothers’ sister Isobel died of pneumonia. Wallace and his wife traveled to Chicago to attend her funeral.  In April 1937 Wallace committed suicide in a hotel room with taking cyanide dissolved in lemon juice.  Wallace Carothers had a problem with depression from an early age. 

Fabric then:  The fabric was initially praised for its long-wearing characteristics. But when hot, bulky double-knits arrived.   Customers began to miss the breathability of the cotton and wool clothing. When they began to see mass- produced budget garments made of the same fabric, fashion-conscious customers turned away from anything with polyester entirely. Polyester was introduced in 1951 under a single name. Today there are more than 20 brand names for what was once called miracle fiber.  Synthetic fibers, in one form or another, are found in more than 50 percent of garments made in America.

Fabric now:  Today polyester’s negative image is being combatted by the emergence of new high-tech fibers that are being used in the increasingly popular outerwear as well as other garments. Probably the one that is the most famous and has the most potential to revive polyester is the polyester microfibers.  This fabric is being marketed as a luxury fabric and comes with the appropriate high price tag–reducing polyester’s image as a “cheap” fabric. So who knows, maybe in the next decade we will have another polyester explosion.