The Future of Polyester Fibers

Standardization of the world fiber business on PET guarantees that future fiber technology efforts will remain focused on this polymer. Costs and efficiencies will get better, and other fiber types will be even less competitive. Domination of the PET commodity fiber business by Asian countries will encourage more efforts by Western and Japanese producers to further expand into niche markets with special fiber types, and to further displace natural and other synthetic fibers from their markets. 

The types of products that contain PET fibers will expand, especially in areas such as nonwoven fabrics used for disposable items, e.g. industrial fabrics for diapers, disposable wipes, filters, etc. These are products that do not require much hand labor, and are relatively well protected from low labor costs in developing countries. Bicomponent fibers based on PET will become more prevalent as the production technology becomes more widespread, in areas where the bico approach can enhance properties or economics. 

The domination of PET is likely to continue so long as the raw material costs remain low, and these are currently driven by the cost of oil. Although synthetic fibers use only 1 % of the petroleum stream, they are in competition for that resource with fuels which use up to 50 times as much. Chemical producers already have efforts in place to supply raw materials for PET from renewable biological sources, so it is possible that even the increasing cost of oil will not diminish the dominance of polyester. When contrasted with increasing costs of land and resources for natural fiber production, as food for an increasing population competes for the same land, the use of PET fibers will likely become even more prevalent than today. 

Paraxylene and Derivatives - World Supply and Demand Report, PCI-Xylenes and Polyesters Ltd, Guildford, Surrey, UK. 

Richie, P. D Monograph No. 13, Society of Chemical Industry, London, 1961, pp. 107-131. 

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