Like nylon, sublimation Polyester fabric is one of the most popular synthetics in the world. It’s a plastic that is in everyday products but is also fibers for making fabrics. You also live your entire life with polyester by your side whether you know it or not. From fabric to your own computer, polyester is somewhere in your life so it’s time to find out more about it!

CREATING POLYESTER
Polyester is a polymer, meaning it is a plastic that has a molecular structure of a large number of similar units bonded together. Think of it like a metal chain with repeating links. It is a synthetic fiber made by a chemical reaction between an acid and alcohol. In this reaction, two or more molecules combine to make a large molecule whose structure repeats throughout its length. Therefore, like a metal chain, polyester fibers can form very long molecules that are very stable and strong.

The most common type of chemical reaction used to make polyester takes place at high temperatures around 302-410°F in a vacuum-like kettle. Chemicals are mixed to form a compound known as a monomer or a molecule that can be bonded to other identical molecules. This reaction is known as polymerization. Long fibers from this process are stretched until they are about five times their original length. The resultant fiber forms an arrangement of molecules that are very strong! Once cool, the material is cut into tiny chips.

These chips are melted at about 500°F to form a thick liquid-like solution. This syrup solution begins going through a spinneret, which is a wheel with tiny holes. Fibers of different length and thickness are made by using holes of different sizes and drawing them out at different speeds. The more strands wrapped together means the thicker and stronger the yarn.

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