Polyester taffeta is the polyester filament yarn. Polyester is an important variety of synthetic fibres. It’s made from purified terephthalic acid (PTA) or dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) and ethylene glycol (MEG), through esterification or transesterification and polycondensation reaction, forming a polyester fibre called polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and then after spinning and post-processing, it forms the polyester fibre. The so-called polyester filament is the yarn with a length of more than 1,000 metres which is wound into balls.

Characteristics of polyester filaments

·       Strength: its strength is twice of cotton and four times of wool so polyester fabrics are strong and durable.

·       Elasticity: its elasticity is close to that of wool and its wrinkle resistance exceeds that of other fibres. The fabric doesn’t wrinkle and has good shape retention.

·       Abrasion resistance: the abrasion resistance of polyester is second only to nylon among synthetic fibers.

·       Water absorption: polyester has a low moisture regain and good insulation properties. However, due to its low water absorption, there is high static electricity generated by friction and poor natural adsorption performance of dyes. Therefore, polyester is generally dyed using high temperature and high-pressure dyeing methods.

·       Dyeability: polyester itself lacks hydrophilic groups or dye receptor sites, so polyester has poor dyeability. It can be dyed with disperse dyes or non-ionic dyes, so it has strict dying conditions.

Differences between polyester taffeta and nylon taffeta

1.     Nylon taffeta is a fabric made of nylon filament and it’s 100% nylon. The warp and weft materials are 70D. The fabric structure is plain weave and variable weave. It’s mainly used as fabric for men’s and women’s clothing. Coated nylon is impermeable to wind and water, and has similarities to down properties so it can be used as fabric for ski jackets, raincoats, sleeping bags, and mountaineering clothes.

2.     Polyester taffeta is made of polyester filaments, which has a shiny appearance and a smooth feel. Polyester taffeta is suitable for jackets, down jackets, umbrellas, car covers, sportswear, handbags, luggage, sleeping bags, tents, artificial flowers, shower curtains, tablecloths, chair covers and various high-end clothing linings.

3.     Nylon taffeta is nylon filament, and polyester taffeta is polyester filament. Both are chemical fibres, and there is no distinction between good or bad. They are used in different clothing and fabrics. To distinguish them you can use the combustion method: the polyester raw material burns with obvious fire, while there is no obvious fire with nylon buring.

Source: China Textile Leader