Polyethylene terephthalate
Polyethylene terephthalate (sometimes written poly(ethylene terephthalate)), commonly abbreviated
PET,
PETE, or the obsolete PETP or PET-P is a thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in synthetic fibers; beverage, food and other liquid containers; thermoforming applications; and engineering resins often in combination with glass fiber. It may also be referred to by the brand name
Dacron; in Britain,
Terylene; or, in Russia and former Soviet Union,
Lavsan. The majority of the world's PET production is for synthetic fibers (in excess of 60%), with bottle production accounting for around 30% of global demand. In the context of textile applications, PET is referred to by its common name,
polyester, whereas the acronym
PET is generally used in relation to packaging. Polyester makes up about 18% of world polymer production and is the third-most-produced polymer; polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) are first and second, respectively. PET consists of polymerized units of the monomer ethylene terephthalate, with repeating C10H8O4 units.