Polyester fabric is a common textile and the synthetic fiber with the world's largest output. Used extensively in daily life, it accounts for more than 60% of global synthetic fiber production and is a material widely applied in garment making, bedding and all kinds of decorative fabric.
What Is Polyester Fabric?
Polyester fabric is a type of chemical-fiber apparel fabric used very widely in everyday life. Its greatest advantages are excellent wrinkle resistance and shape retention, which make it well suited for outerwear, all kinds of bags and luggage, and outdoor products such as tents.
Polyester is also a synthetic fiber, commonly referred to as polyester fiber. It belongs to high-molecular compounds, and clothing made from it feels very cool when worn.
The Pros and Cons of Polyester Workwear Fabric
Polyester fabric has outstanding resistance to various chemicals: acids and alkalis cause little damage to it, and it is not affected by mildew or insect damage.
Among synthetic fiber fabrics, polyester offers the best heat resistance and possesses thermoplasticity.
Polyester fabric has high strength and excellent elastic recovery. It is therefore sturdy and durable, wrinkle-resistant, and needs no ironing.
Polyester fabric has good light resistance; its resistance to sunlight surpasses that of natural-fiber fabrics and is on a par with that of acrylic fabrics.
Polyester fabric has poor moisture absorbency, so polyester garments can feel hot when worn and tend to build up static electricity and attract dust, which detracts from their appearance and comfort. On the other hand, polyester clothing does not easily deform and offers excellent wearability.
Polyester has poor dyeability. Because there is no specific dye site on the polyester molecular chain and its polarity is relatively low, the fabric is difficult to dye and dye molecules do not readily penetrate the fiber. However, once dyed, the color fastness is good and the color does not fade easily.
Polyester fabric is prone to pilling. As a type of synthetic fiber product, it is subject to the pilling that affects all synthetic fibers, so polyester fabric products will develop pilling after a period of use.
Polyester has poor melt resistance: sparks, cigarette ash and the like can easily burn holes in it.
How to Distinguish Polyester from Rayon?
Method 1: By Feel
Polyester by feel: when you hold the fabric in your hand and squeeze and rub it, it feels smooth and slippery. Its advantage is that it does not wrinkle easily, which is why sportswear is often made from polyester fabric.
Rayon by feel: it gives a plain, warm feel to the touch. Its advantages are good sweat absorption and breathability, which is why rayon is commonly used for home wear.
Method 2: The Burn Test
Polyester: when burned with a flame, it gives off a pungent, rubber-like odor. The flame is reddish with a tinge of green, produces black smoke, and does not burn through completely. When pinched, the residue sticks to the fingers.
Rayon: when ignited with a flame, it produces light smoke without a pungent odor. The flame is red, burns through fairly completely, and leaves behind almost nothing but ash.
Post time: Sep-29-2026