Polyester
Description
Polyester is a class of polymers that contains ester in its main functional group (which means that at least one hydroxyl group is replaced with an alkoxy group). Polyesters are widely used in the clothing and textile industries, as well as packaging, consumer goods, and more. Polyesters may be thermoplastic or thermoset, often depending on the ester group attached to the polymer chain. See Polyester fiber, Polyester film, or Polyester resin.
| Polymer Name | Common or Commercial Names |
Potential Concerns | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polybutylene succinate (PBS) | 1 | Biodegradable | Wikipedia |
| Plybutylene terephthalate (PBT) | 2 | 4 | Polybutylene terephthalate |
| Polycarbonate (PC) | 3 | 6 | Polycarbonate |
| Polycaprolactone (PCL) | Varaform | Biodegradable | Wikipedia |
| Polyethylene adipate (PEA) | 4 | 8 | Wikipedia |
| Polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) | Advance Photo System film | 10 | Wikipedia |
| Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) | Polyester fiber; Melinex, Mylar, Dacron, Terylene, Teijin Fibers | Polyethylene terephthalate | |
| Polyglycocide or polyglycolic acid (PGA) | Dexon, Vicryl | Biodegradable | 6 |
| Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) | 3 | 6 | 9 |
| Polyethylene adipate (PEA) | 4 | 8 | 12 |
| Polycarbonate (PC) | 3 | 6 | 9 |
| Polyethylene adipate (PEA) | 4 | 8 | 12 |
| 5 | 5 | 10 | 15 |
Biodegradable
Polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) wikipedia link
Advanced Photo System film (to 2011), wikipedia link
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
Polyester fiber*, Polyester resin*, Melinex, Mylar, Dacron, Terylene,
Teijin Fibers
Intentional design to make product acidic (see Teijin Fibers)
Polyglycolide or polyglycolic acid (PGA) wikipedia link
Dexon, Vicryl, wikpedia link
Biodegradable
Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) wikipedia link, a class of biological polymers
“Biopol”
Biodegradable
Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) wikipedia link
Biodegradable
Polylactic acid (PLA)
Lactron,
Biodegradable
Polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT) wikipedia link
Vectran LCP (wikipedia link)
Liquid crystal polymer LCP,