Polyester fibers

Polyester fiber, specifically poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fiber, is the largest volume synthetic fiber produced worldwide. The total volume produced in 2016 exceeded 50 million tons with a rate of growth far greater than any other fiber, natural or synthetic. Low cost, convenient processability, ease of blending with cotton and other natural fibers, convenient recyclability, and excellent and tailorable performance are the reasons for the dominating success of PET fiber. The excellent performance of polyester fiber over a wide range of end uses results from the ability to accurately control fiber morphology (distribution and connectivity of crystalline and noncrystalline load-bearing units) allowing the balance of thermal and dimensional stability, transport, and mechanical properties to be precisely controlled. All these parameters are conveniently and accurately monitored by thermal analysis techniques. It is the purpose of this chapter to provide the reader with an overview of the applications of thermal analysis toward polyester fiber characterization, including the impact of processing on performance and the utility of thermal analysis toward understanding the materials science of PET fibers.