File:Polyethyleneterephthalate.svg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
polyethylene terephthalate
Sign in to saveAlso known as poly(ethylene terephthalate), PET, PETE, poly(oxyethyleneoxyterephthaloyl), polyester, Dacron, Terylene, Mylar
type of polyester commonly used for bottles and clothing
Research
14,248 papers- Engineered polyethylene terephthalate hydrolases: perspectives and limits.Applied microbiology and biotechnology · 2024
- Polyethylene terephthalate waste derived nanomaterials (WDNMs) and its utilization in electrochemical devices.Chemosphere · 2024
- [Biodegradation of polyethylene terephthalate: a review].Sheng wu gong cheng xue bao = Chinese journal of biotechnology · 2023
- Integrated network toxicology, machine learning, molecular docking and experimental validation to elucidate mechanism of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics inducing periodontitis.Environment international · 2025
- Long-Term Exposure to Real-Life Polyethylene Terephthalate Nanoplastics Induces Carcinogenesis In Vitro.Environmental science & technology · 2025
via PubMed
Wikidata facts
- Subclass of
- thermoplastic
- Has part
- hydrogen
- Image
- Polyester Shirt, close-up.jpg
- Said to be same as
- Dacron
- Has use
- PET bottle
Show 10 more facts
- different from
- polyester
- Commons category
- Polyethylene terephthalate
- recycling code
- 1
- density
- 1.38
- tensile modulus of elasticity
- 2800.3100
- melting point
- 260
- boiling point
- 350
- short name
- PETE
- CXSMILES
- [*]CCOC(=O)c1cc(ccc1)C(=O)O[*] |Sg:n:1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14::ht|
- polymer of
- ethylene glycol
via Wikidata · CC0
~25 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Polyethylene terephthalate (or poly(ethylene terephthalate), PET, PETE, or the obsolete PETP or PET-P) is the most common thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in fibres for clothing, containers for liquids and foods, and thermoformed parts for manufacturing, and in combination with glass fibre for engineering resins.
In 2025, annual global production of PET was 31 million tons with 2031 projections showing over 40 million tons. 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. PET used in non-fiber applications (i.e. for packaging) makes up about 6% of world polymer production by mass. Including the >60% fraction of polyethylene terephthalate produced for use as polyester fibers, PET is the fourth-most-produced polymer after polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “polyethylene terephthalate” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.