What’s the Difference Between Polyester and Nylon?

difference between polyester and nylon

Polyester and nylon are two of the most widely used synthetic fabrics, but they are often confused due to their similar appearance and versatility. Whether you are choosing a material for clothing, outdoor gear, or industrial use, understanding the differences between these fabrics can help you make the right choice. This article will help you understand the main differences between polyester and nylon.

The Difference Between Polyester and Nylon

Polyester has good air permeability and moisture dissipation. It also has strong acid and alkali resistance and UV resistance. Nylon is a polyamide fiber. Its advantages are high strength, high wear resistance, high chemical resistance, good deformation resistance and aging resistance. Its disadvantage is that it feels hard. The more famous ones are PERTEX and CORDURA.

How to distinguish them in daily life?

Polyester has a strong imitation silk feel and bright luster, but it is not soft enough. It has a glittering effect, feels smooth, flat and elastic. There is no obvious crease when the silk surface is squeezed and then released. It is not easy to tear the warp and weft after being wetted with water. Nylon has a dull luster, and the surface feels like it is coated with a layer of wax, and the color is not bright. It feels stiff, and there are creases when the fabric is squeezed and then released, and it can slowly return to its original state. The warp and weft yarns are strong.

Nylon performance

It is strong and wear-resistant, ranking first among all fibers. Its wear resistance is 10 times that of cotton fiber, 10 times that of dry viscose fiber, and 140 times that of wet fiber. Therefore, it is extremely durable. Nylon fabric has excellent elasticity and elastic recovery, but it is easy to deform under small external force, so its fabric is easy to wrinkle during wearing. It has poor ventilation and air permeability and is prone to static electricity.

nylon performance

Nylon fabric

Nylon fabric has better moisture absorption than polyester fabrics, so clothes made of nylon are more comfortable to wear than polyester clothes. It has good resistance to moth and corrosion. Its heat and light resistance are not good enough, and the ironing temperature should be controlled below 140℃. During wearing and using, attention should be paid to the washing and maintenance conditions to avoid damaging the fabric. Nylon fabric is a light fabric, ranked only after polypropylene and acrylic fabrics among synthetic fiber fabrics. Therefore, it is suitable for making mountaineering clothes, winter clothes, etc.

Polyester performance

Polyester has high strength. The strength of short fibers is 2.6-5.7 cN/dtex, and that of high-strength fibers is 5.6-8.0 cN/dtex. Due to its low hygroscopicity, its wet strength is basically the same as its dry strength. Its impact strength is 4 times higher than that of nylon and 20 times higher than that of viscose fibers. It has good elasticity. Its elasticity is close to that of wool, and it can almost be completely restored when stretched by 5%-6%. It has better wrinkle resistance than other fibers, that is, the fabric does not wrinkle and has good dimensional stability. Its elastic modulus is 22-141 cN/dtex, 2-3 times higher than that of nylon. It has good water absorption. It has good abrasion resistance. Its abrasion resistance is second only to nylon, which has the best abrasion resistance, and is better than other natural and synthetic fibers. Its light resistance is second only to acrylic fibers. It is corrosion-resistant. It can resist bleach, oxidants, hydrocarbons, ketones, petroleum products and inorganic acids. It is resistant to dilute alkali and mildew, but can be decomposed by hot alkali. It has poor dyeability.

polyester performance

Polyester fabric

Polyester has poor hygroscopicity, and it feels stuffy when worn. It is also easy to carry static electricity and get dusty, which affects the appearance and comfort. However, it is very easy to dry after washing, and the wet strength hardly decreases, does not deform, and has good wash and wear performance. Polyester is the most heat-resistant fabric among synthetic fabrics, with a melting point of 260°C and an ironing temperature of 180°C. It is thermoplastic and can be made into pleated skirts with long-lasting pleats. At the same time, polyester fabric has poor melting resistance and is prone to forming holes when encountering cigarette ash, sparks, etc. Therefore, when wearing, you should try to avoid contact with cigarette butts, sparks, etc. Polyester fabric has good light resistance. Except for being worse than acrylic, its sun resistance is better than natural fiber fabrics. Especially behind the glass, its sun resistance is very good, almost comparable to acrylic. Polyester fabric has good resistance to various chemicals. It is not damaged much by acids and alkalis, and is not afraid of mold or insects. Polyester fabric has good wrinkle resistance and shape retention, so it is suitable for outerwear.

Boston Scrub uses high-quality fabrics to produce medical work clothes. Its main product series includes medical scrubs, medical uniforms, lab coats, and anti-static uniforms. It is committed to meeting the needs of medical staff working in harsh medical environments and is the first choice for medical professionals.

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