In the modern market of fabrics it is possible to call polyester the indisputable leader. By different calculations of a product from it occupy from 40 to 50 percent of all world market of textile products. How does polyester what fabrics from it make and in what properties they differ look?
What is polyester, properties and features of material
Polyester belongs to number of artificial (synthetic) fibers for which production natural or sintetizirovanny organic polymers are used. There is a lot of types of such fibers, for example:
- polyurethane, very elastic and elastic (lycra, spandex, elastane);
- polyamide, extremely resistant to attrition and perfectly holding a form (kapron, nylon, anid);
- polyacrylonitrile which sometimes call artificial wool (acrylic, akrilan, kashmilon, Nitron).
Polyester is a polyester fiber for which production oil products are used. It was learned to be developed in the forties the last century. At first new material was used for production of packaging materials, however soon it became widespread also in the textile industry. The fabrics made of polyester won huge popularity thanks to a number of advantages:
- polyester is inexpensive in production, and fabrics from it differ in the affordable price, at the same time look rather attractively and are comfortable in a sock;
- fiber does not shrink, is not deformed, perfectly holds a form and very quickly sokhren after washing that considerably simplifies a garment care;
- fibers from 100% of polyester are very strong, at the same time they do not fade in the sun, are capable to resist to wind or a frost well;
- polyester is very light, and products from it differ in small body weight;
- things from synthetic material do not cause allergies, are not afraid of mold fungi or ask that does polyester very hygienic;
- the production technology allows to receive the most various polyester fibers: various thickness, a different form of section (round, triangular, square), with different properties and to receive "at the exit" a big variety of types of cloths;
- polyester is easily combined with other types of fibers — as natural (for example, wool, linen or cotton), and synthetic that allows to use it by production of the widest range of fabrics.
Types of fabrics from polyester
Properties, appearance and characteristics of ready fabric, of course, in many respects depend on the material used for its production — but are not defined only by it. So, absolute cotton can be both the thinnest batiste, and silky sateen, and dense coarse calico, and a warm fluffy flannel. The form and thickness of thread, feature of spinning, type of an interlacing of fibers — all this plays the role. The same can be told also about synthetic fabrics.
Fabrics from polyester can be very different on the properties. So, from this material make:
- the strong waterproof awning fabrics highly demanded by production of tents, awnings, tourist equipment, etc. (for strengthening of water-repellent properties special impregnations can be used);
- — beginning kurtochny materials and raincoat fabric with different degree of density from dense water - and windproof materials and finishing with light fabrics for tailoring of weightless summer windbreakers;
- inexpensive and quite practical suit and dress fabrics — they can be both smooth, and rough to the touch;
- different types of knitwear — it can be both 100% polyester, and polyester in mix with other fabrics; some of the most popular types of fabrics of this type can call gentle and silky jersey-oil;
- soft fleecy nonwoven fabrics — such as most popular fleece or Polartec which are used for production of warm and tourist clothes and also as heater;
- artificial analogs of silk, satin, brocade, velvet, guipure, organza and other effective fabrics;
- fine, light and inexpensive lining fabrics;
- wearproof and hypoallergenic materials for tailoring of bed linen (from 100% of polyester or in mix with cotton) — polysateen, microfiber, polikotton and so on;
- various portyerny fabrics, obivochny materials, textural cloths, faux fur and many other things.
Thus, the label saying that the composition of fabric — "100% of polyester" can be present at various textile products sewed from materials with different properties. It can be the elegant streaming dress and working overalls, a children's soft toy and a covering of an umbrella, a layered clothing set, dense lightproof curtains, a fluffy cover … And, for example, when tailoring an autumn jacket dense water-repellent kurtochny fabric, soft warm fleece as heater can be used, lining fabric for pockets and effective faux fur for finishing — and all this will be polyester.
Heaters from polyester
Make not only fabrics, but also the nonwoven warming fabrics which were widespread of fibers of polyair. So, exactly from polyester sintepon — the light material with the good warming properties but which is quickly enough rolling down (is produced especially when washing). Sintepon was very popular at the turn of the century, but now it was practically forced out by more modern analogs of heaters from polyester, such as:
- holofiber,
- isosoftware,
- hollofan,
These materials perfectly hold volume, long keep the heat-insulating properties, transfer washing better, easily restore initial a form. At the same time they are hygienic, hypoallergenic and as a rule do not cause perspiration. The winter coat or a jacket on such heater even in hard frosts heats not worse than a down jacket. At the same time the cost of it of "artificial down" is much lower than natural analogs.
Also nonwoven heaters are used for stuffing of pillows and blankets. Light, plain fillers in leaving polyester significantly "pressed" the traditional materials used for production of bedding and are among very demanded.
Rules of care for fabrics from polyester
In spite of the fact that fabrics from polyester can look absolutely differently, their "the chemical nature" is identical. Therefore it is possible to call rules of care for products from polyester standard.
When washing products it is necessary:
- to watch that water temperature did not exceed 40 degrees, otherwise material can be deformed and lose the properties;
- at machine wash it is better to use the delicate modes with the lowered extraction turns (it is not higher than 600 revolutions per minute); for fine fabrics only the hand wash can be "shown";
- not to use bleaches — they can also harmful influence structure of fabric.
It should be noted that polyester fabrics rather easily wash off therefore if on a thing there are no strong "eaten" pollution — such "easy" washing usually happens enough.
Polyester is practically not rumpled, and if not to allow a thing "to lie too long" in the washing machine drum and to straighten before drying, in many cases it is possible to do without the subsequent ironing. If it after all is necessary — heating of the iron is established on a minimum and ironed from inner side through a proutyuzhilnik (light pure cotton fabric or a special grid).
When washing it is possible (and it is necessary) to add conditioners or antistatics for linen as the tendency to electrization is "weak point" of fibers from polyester.