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Polyethylene
Terephthalate
The Plastic Commonly Known as PET
by Todd Johnson
PET plastics or polyethylene
terephthalate is used in many different products.
The properties of PET makes
it ideal for a number of different uses and these advantages make it one of the
most common plastics available today.
Understanding more about the
history of PET, as well as the chemical properties, will allow you to
appreciate this plastic even more.
In addition, most communities
recycle this type of plastic, which allows it to be used again and again.
What are the chemical properties of PET?
PET Chemical Properties
This plastic is a
thermoplastic resin of the polyester family and is commonly used in
many different products, including synthetic fibers.
It can exist in both a
transparent and a semi-crystalline polymer, depending upon the processing and
thermal history.
Polyethylene terephthalate is
a polymer that is formed by combining two monomers: modified ethylene glycol
and purified terephthalic acid.
PET can be modified with
additional polymers as well, making it acceptable and usable for other uses.
History of PET
The history of PET began in
1941. The first patent was filed by John Whinfield and James Dickson, along
with their employer, the Calico Printer's Association of Manchester.
They based their invention on
the earlier work of Wallace Carothers.
They, working with others,
created the first polyester fiber called Terylene in 1941, which was followed
by many other types and brands of polyester fibers.
Another patent was filed in
1973 by Nathaniel Wyeth for PET bottles, which he used for medicines.
Advantages of PET
PET offers several different
advantages. PET can be found in many different forms, from semi-rigid to rigid.
This is largely dependent upon its thickness.
It is a lightweight plastic
that can be made into a number of different products. It is very strong and has
impact resistant properties as well.
As far as color, it is
largely colorless and transparent, although color can be added, depending upon
the product that it is being used for.
These advantages make PET one
of the most common types of plastic that is found today.
Uses of PET
There are many different uses
for PET. One of the most common is for drink bottles, including soft drinks and
more.
PET film or what is called
Mylar is used for balloons, flexible food packaging, space blankets, and
as a carrier for magnetic tape or backing for pressure sensitive adhesive tape.
In addition, it can be formed
to make trays for frozen dinners and for other packaging trays and blisters.
If glass particles or fibers
are added to the PET, it becomes more durable and stiffer in nature.
PET is largely used for
synthetic fibers, also known as polyester.
PET Recycling
PET is commonly recycled in
most areas of the country, even with curbside recycling, which is simple and
easy for everyone.
Recycled PET can be used in a
number of different things, including polyester fibers for carpeting, parts for
cars, fiberfill for coats and sleeping bags, shoes, luggage, t-shirts, and
more.
The way to tell if you are
dealing with PET plastic is looking for the recycling symbol with the number
"1" inside of it.
If you are not sure that your
community recycles it, simply contact your recycling center and ask. They will
be happy to help.
PET
is a very common type of plastic and understanding its composition, as well as
its advantages and uses, will allow you to appreciate it a little bit more.
You
most likely have lots of products in your home that contains PET, which means
that you have the opportunity to recycle and allow your product to make even
more products.
Chances
are you will touch different PET products over a dozen times today.
Todd Johnson
· Regional Sales Manager for
Composites One, a distributor of composite materials.
· B.S. in Business Management
from University of Colorado Boulder's Leeds School of Business
· Business Development Manager
for Ebert Composites Corporation
Experience
Todd Johnson is a former writer for ThoughtCo,
who wrote about plastics and composite materials for 2-1/2 years between 2010
and 2013. He is a Regional Sales Manager at Composites One, a composite
materials distributor in San Diego, CA. Johnson provides support to the Greater
San Diego manufacturers of fiber reinforced and polymer products. He regularly
attends composite industry trade shows including JEC, ACMA, SME, and SAMPE. In
2008 he presented at the Global Pultrusion Conference in Baltimore, MD.
Previously, Todd spent six years as the Business Development Manager for Ebert
Composites Corporation.
Education
B.S., Business, Management, Marketing, and
Related Support Services - the University of Colorado-Boulder's Leeds School of
Business; attended Griffith University in Queensland, Australia.
Todd Johnson
ThoughtCo and Dotdash
ThoughtCo is a premier reference site
focusing on expert-created education content. We are one of the top-10
information sites in the world as rated by comScore, a leading Internet
measurement company. Every month, more than 13 million readers seek answers to
their questions on ThoughtCo.
For more than 20 years, Dotdash brands have been helping people find
answers, solve problems, and get inspired. We are one of the top-20 largest
content publishers on the Internet according to comScore, and reach more than
30% of the U.S. population monthly. Our brands collectively have won more than
20 industry awards in the last year alone, and recently Dotdash was named
Publisher of the Year by Digiday, a leading industry publication.
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