147 Polyester
Polyester is a category of polymers that contain the ester functional group in every repeat unit of their main chain. Mostly it refers to a specific polyester called polyethylene terephthalate (PET) (Figure 147.1). Synthesis of polyesters is generally achieved by a polycondensation a diol with a diacid.
Polyester includes natural polyesters and synthetic polyesters.
A typical natural polyester is polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHAs) (Figure 147.2), which are synthesized by bacteria.
The first polyester was discovered by Loureno in 1863 by reacting succinic acid with ethylene glycol. Decades later W. H. Caruthers conducted a series of research studies on polyesters in the late 1930s. In 1941, a group of British ...
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