Polyester Manmade 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 "History." Schwartz. N.p.. Web. 8 Dec 2013. <http://schwartz.eng.auburn.edu/polyester/history.html>.

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 "History." Schwartz. N.p.. Web. 8 Dec 2013. <http://schwartz.eng.auburn.edu/polyester/history.html>.

Advantages Easily dyed Easy to care for Strong Offered in many forms- knits, jerseys or cottons, and silk-like fabrics Light weight Resistant to: Shrinking Stretching Mildew Creasing Fading from the sun "Do you have a problem wearing synthetic fabrics like polyester or is it just me?." 40 Style. N.p.. Web. 9 Dec 2013. <http://40plusstyle.com/what-is-polyester-advantages-disadvantages/>. "Fabric Facts." Fabric Tree. N.p.. Web. 8 Dec 2013. <http://www.fabrictree.com/FabricFacts.html>.

Disadvantages Not as comfortable as some of the natural fibers No breathe Fabric shine can be unattractive Can cause rashes and skin irritation on those with sensitive skin Stains are difficult to remove Not environmentally friendly Retains body heat and moisture like sweat "Do you have a problem wearing synthetic fabrics like polyester or is it just me?." 40 Style. N.p.. Web. 9 Dec 2013. <http://40plusstyle.com/what-is-polyester-advantages-disadvantages/>. "Fabric Facts." Fabric Tree. N.p.. Web. 8 Dec 2013. <http://www.fabrictree.com/FabricFacts.html>.

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 Nuttall, Kelly. "Fabric Care for Polyester." eHow. N.p.. Web. 6 Dec 2013. <http://www.ehow.com/print/how_6131672_fabric-care-polyester.html>. "Fabric University." FabricLink. N.p.. Web. 9 Dec 2013. <http://www.fabriclink.com/university/gencare.cfm

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