Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)

Polyethylene Terephthalate, also known as PET or PETE; it is often referred to as a polyester when referring to its yarn form while the PET connotation is mostly used in the packaging/thermoplastic industry. Its world consumption can be divided as 65/35 between the yarn and packaging industries.

PET has good barrier properties against oxygen and carbon dioxide making it the plastic of choice for the production of bottles for consumption liquids; moreover, it is often used to produce such things as food trays, roasting bags and mechanical components.

PET is available in 2 forms; transparent (amorphous) and opaque white (semi-crystalline). Such properties as flexibility and hardness, while maintaining good levels of ductility, are attributed to the amorphous PET. On the other hand, properties such as stiffness, inflexibility and higher level of ductility, can be found in the semi-crystalline PET.

Amorphous:
In recent years, the grown popularity of PET has been mostly linked to the good properties this thermoplastic has to offer for the bottled market (clarity and tasteless when in contact with water/liquids).

Crystalline:
This form of PET enables its usage for such applications as re-heatable containers and personal care products such as pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

Filament yarns are commonly found in the textile industry such as furnishing and clothing as well as in more technical applications such as tyre cord and technical textiles.

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