Synthetic fibres: Nylon, polyester, acrylic, polyolefin

Synthetic fibers account for about half of all fiber usage, with applications in every field of fiber and textile technology. Although many classes of fiber based on synthetic polymers have been evaluated as potentially valuable commercial products, four of them - nylon, polyester, acrylic and polyolefin - dominate the market. These four account for approximately 98% by volume of synthetic fibre production, with polyester alone accounting for around sixty percent.
Synthetic fibres: nylon, polyester, acrylic, polyolefin provides a brief history of the early evaluations that led to this situation, then looks in detail at the development and present status of each class in four substantial chapters. Synthesis of chemical intermediates, polymerisation methods, fibre spinning and orientation technology, texturing techniques, production of microfibres, and chemical variants, e.g. for modified dyeability, are considered in detail.

Published in association with The Textile Institute