the.com/polyester
the fabric that refuses to die, wrinkle, or apologize for the 1970s
means A synthetic fabric made from petroleum-based polymers, prized for being cheap, durable, and resistant to wrinkles and shrinking.
from A modern chemist's compound word, built from Greek 'poly-' meaning 'many' plus 'ester,' a chemical term itself coined in the 19th century (likely shortened from German 'Essigäther,' 'acetic ether'). So 'polyester' literally means 'many esters' — a chain of repeating molecular links. The fiber was developed in the 1930s and '40s, and the name describes exactly what it is: a long polymer strung together from ester bonds, no romance required.
- origin
- Made from petroleum, same family as plastic bottles
- lifespan
- Takes centuries to decompose in landfills
- recycling
- Plastic bottles get spun into new clothing
- invented
- Patented by British chemists in 1941
- shedding
- Releases microplastics into oceans with every wash
dacron — dupont's polyester fiber trademarked in 1951, widely used in clothing and industrial applications
terylene — ici's polyester fiber developed in 1941, dominant in british and commonwealth textiles
mylar — dupont's polyester film created in 1958, used for magnetic tape, insulation, and reflective materials