Polyester fibre
The world's dominant textile fibre, spun from PTA and MEG; 78 Mt a year, mostly made in China, and central to India's textile export ambitions.
Pseudo-commodities · Resins & fibres · No. 63
- Single chemical
- Feedstock: Oil, gas or coal
- 78 Mt produced (2024), 59% of 132 Mt of all fibres; recycled polyester 9.3 Mt
- 3.0 t CO₂e per t
- HS 550320, 540247
Polyester now makes up 59% of all the fibre the world spins, more than cotton and every other fibre combined.
Chart: Illustration: Polyester fibre
Where it comes from
Chart: Map of where it comes from
PTA and MEG are polymerised continuously and the melt is pumped straight to spinnerets, wound into filament or cut into staple fibre for blending with cotton.
Three things to know
- Polyester was 59% of the world's 132 Mt of fibre in 2024, up two points in a year.
- Recycled polyester reached 9.3 Mt, but less than 1% of all fibre came from old textiles.
- Indian polyester yarn sold for Rs 100-120 per kg in FY2025, against Rs 240-260 for cotton yarn.
The journey
- 1 Crude oilBecomes paraxylene and ethylene oxide
- 2 PTA and MEG0.86 t PTA, 0.33 t MEG
- 3 PolymerisationContinuous melt at about 280 C
- 4 SpinningFilament at 3,000-5,000 m per minute
- 5 FabricWoven and knitted in hubs like Surat