Decades Later, Polyester Forges New Image

摘要

Polyester is hailed as one of the most stain-resistant fibers available, but for much of the last quarter century, polymer had one blemish it couldn't resist: its stained reputation as a 1970s cultural icon. Despite its often guffawed-at image, worldwide use of the fiber has boomed. According to the Fibers Economics Bureau polyester's share of global fiber production increased by 58% from 1977-1997, from a third of the market in 1977 to over half (52%) of all fibers processed 20 years later. (Only olefin has increased its market share at a higher rate—more than doubling from 7% to 16% over that time, making it the second-most processed manmade fiber in the world.)