Polyester is one of 32 materials in this atlas, grouped under textiles: history, structure, measured properties, process routes, uses, safety and market — not a product catalogue.
Scores compare Polyester with the rest of the atlas on strength, heat, fire behaviour, insulation, workability and circularity. They are editorial, not certificates.
Seven chapters follow. Fire and insulation claims name test families (Euroclass, ASTM E84, ISO 5660, KS F) rather than inventing a single safety number.
Deep introduction
Deep dive: Polyester
Polyester ((C10H8O4)n PET) is a family of grades whose density ~1.38 g/cm³, heat band ~250–260 °C, and fire letter melts and drips unless FR.
What “the material” actually is
Polyester is sold as grades, not as a single substance. Chemistry (C10H8O4)n PET, density ~1.38 g/cm³, heat band ~250–260 °C.
This atlas treats Polyester as a system: mill route, coatings, tests and the cavity it sits in.
Heat, fire and insulation
Conductivity note: low solid; fabrics trap air. Insulation score 50/100 is relative to 32 entries — metals lose, VIPs and aerogels win.
Fire letter in editorial use: melts and drips unless FR. Do not equate A1 with “safe in a blaze” or E with “illegal”. Assemblies decide.
How it is made and used
Origin: Whinfield & Dickson 1941 / DuPont Dacron, United Kingdom / US. The process chapter follows feedstock → conversion → forming → finish → install.
Uses span buildings to defence / safety. Pairings matter: nylon.
Market and circularity
Producers below are landmarks, not an endorsement ranking. Prices are bands, not live quotes.
Circularity mark 34/100. Ask which scrap, which certificate, which year.
Related atlas
Around Polyester
Related atlas entries, a short glossary, and three threads that keep Polyester honest.
See also
🪢NylonThe polyamide rival: tougher wet, different dye class.
Circularity mark 34/100 — editorial, route-specific.
Typical melting or failure heat?
~250–260 °C
What should it be paired with?
nylon: The polyamide rival: tougher wet, different dye class.
Where is it specified?
Buildings, transport, energy and consumer goods — see the uses chapter.
Is the fire-performance score a building-code rating?
No. It is an editorial 0–100 teaching mark among materials in this atlas. A real wall or garment needs a named product test, thickness and assembly. This page is not a lab stamp.
When should I read insulation instead of fire?
Use the insulation pick when the question is heat flow — lining, loft, or a cold-bridge — and the fire pick when the question is how the same material behaves in flame. Both numbers already sit on this hub; they answer different jobs.
Does a high sustainability score mean I can skip fire protection?
No. Sustainability here is a relative atlas mark (growth, reuse, embodied story). Bamboo and timber can still char like wood. Fire protection stays a separate specification.
Why is bamboo missing in some languages?
A language URL is published only when the seven chapters are real prose in that language. Bamboo exists in English, Korean, Japanese, Chinese and Spanish. French, German, Portuguese and Russian stay withheld — earlier machine drafts leaked English, so those URLs are not opened.
Icons
Terylene
United Kingdom · 1941–
Terylene is a reference point in the public image of Polyester.
Dacron sailcloth
United States · 1950s–
Dacron sailcloth is a reference point in the public image of Polyester.
Polar fleece
United States · 1980s–
Polar fleece is a reference point in the public image of Polyester.
PET bottle
United States · 1973–
PET bottle is a reference point in the public image of Polyester.
Suiting blend
Global · 1960s–
Suiting blend is a reference point in the public image of Polyester.
Seat belt HT
Global · 1960s–
Seat belt HT is a reference point in the public image of Polyester.
Geotextile
Global · 1970s–
Geotextile is a reference point in the public image of Polyester.
rPET jersey
Global · 2000s–
rPET jersey is a reference point in the public image of Polyester.
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