What Are Some Uses of Polyester?

Sherrie Thai/CC-BY-2.0

Polyester is used in many industries, including the textile and fiberglass industry. It is the most commonly used fiber in garments and home furnishings such as bedding, carpet and curtains. Because of its high tensile strength, polyester is also utilized in manufacturing ropes, hoses, sails, thread and floppy disc liners.

The fiberglass industry uses unsaturated polyester, or cured polyester, in manufacturing fiberglass-reinforced polyester resins, which results in a thermosetting plastic that does not melt on heating. Many plastic bottle manufacturers are also using polyester as their main raw product due to its recyclability. Sometimes referred to as PET, these recyclable bottles are slowly gaining popularity because they are cheaper to produce and pose less risk to the environment.

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