Polyester is commonly used in textiles because it is durable, wrinkle-resistant, and cost-effective. However, did you know there are many different types of polyester yarns available in the market? Fabrics woven from these different types of yarn have different properties and applications.
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Staple vs. Filament Yarn
Short fibers are mixed and twisted together to form a staple yarn. Mostly natural fibers like cotton and jute are only suitable for spinning into staple yarns, while synthetics like polyester can be made into either staple yarn or filament yarn (see below). Polyester staple yarn is spun from chopped up polyester fibers, with each fiber being a few inches in length.
Filament yarn, in contrast, is made through melting a synthetic material like polyester and extruding it into long, continuous filaments that can reach thousands of meters in length.
Fabrics woven from filament yarn look glossier and feel smoother than those woven from staple yarn. Filament yarn is preferred for higher performance applications since it generally gives superior strength, abrasion resistance, and stain resistance compared to staple yarn.
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Filament Yarn Types: POY, FDY, DTY and ATY
Since Baichuan’s recycled textile products are used in higher performance applications, we focus on manufacturing recycled polyester filament yarn. Polyester filament yarn is available in a few distinct types.
POY Yarn
Partially Oriented Yarn, or POY, is a basic form of polyester yarn. To make our recycled polyester POY, clean polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle chips are melted, extruded, and stretched at moderate speed. The resulting molecular structure is “partially oriented”, giving the yarn lower strength than fully drawn yarn (see FDY Yarn below), but geater flexibility to be processed into other types of yarn. As such, most POY is used as an intermediate to make a different yarn type, such as DTY or ATY.
FDY stands for “fully drawn yarn”. The process to make FDY is very similar to that used to make POY, but the yarn is stretched (“drawn”) at faster rates upon extrusion. The resulting PET molecular structure is more ordered and aligned, giving FDY higher strength. FDY is a smooth, straight yarn, and fabrics woven from this yarn feature a glossy sheen and low friction, “slippery” handfeel.
Baichuan’s recycled polyester FDY fabrics include taffetas such as 190T and 210T used for apparel lining, and oxfords like 210D and 420D that are suitable for backpacks, accessories, home furnishings and more.
DTY yarn, also known as Drawn Texturized yarn, is manufactured by drawing and texturing POY. As a result of this process, the filaments comprising the POY yarn are dispersed, entangled, and crimped. This gives DTY the matte appearance and fluffier hand feel akin to a natural fiber, while retaining the strength of a synthetic fiber.
Baichuan’s recycled polyester DTY is frequently used to create pongees in 190T to 290T for outdoor apparel and umbrellas, and oxfords in 300D, 600D and 900D for backpacks and heavy duty equipment.
ATY Yarn
Air Textured Yarns (ATY) is a type of synthetic filament yarn that is also called cotton-like yarn for its natural fiber-mimicking handfeel. To make ATY, POY is textured with jets of air, introducing many small distinct loops. These give fabric woven from ATY an even fuzzier look and bulkier hand feel compared to DTY, which relies on crimps instead of loops for its texture.
Baichuan’s recycled polyester ATY is used to create cotton and linen-like fabrics for apparel, accessories, and home goods.
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About Baichuan Resources Recycling
Baichuan Resources Recycling is a major recycled polyester yarn and fabric manufacturer in Fujian, China, with over 18 years of experience in sustainable polyester textiles. Our vertically integrated bottle-to-fabric facilities and industry leading dope dyeing capability help brands around the world make greener products.
Post time: Oct-09-2022