The current stage of production of primarily polyester chemical fibres and filaments

Abstract

Problems in the production and use of chemical fibres and filaments in 1998 are examined and data on their development in comparison to natural fibres, cotton for example, are reported. The share of cotton on the world textile material balance sheet is continuously decreasing. The absolute growth in production of chemical fibres and filaments dropped significantly (by almost 10 times) in comparison to 1997. Manufacture of polyamide (−1%), polyacrylonitrile (−2%), and cellulose (−3%) fibres decreased. The production volumes of countries in the southeast region increased: China (+7), Taiwan (+6), South Korea (+2). At the same time, manufacture of chemical fibres decreased in other highly industrialized regions: USA (−5%), ASEAN (−5%), Japan (−6%), Western Europe (−2%). Polyester (+3% in the world) and polypropylene fibres (+6% in Western Europe) are the only type of synthetic fibres whose production continued to increase in 1998. The world increase in polyesters in recent years was primarily due to complex fibres (+5%) with a comparative lull on the staple fibre market, which could be explained with respect to technical and economic analysis and consumer demand. A brief analysis of the situation in 1998 on production and use of chemical fibres and filaments in the territory of the former USSR is also given. The prospects for development of polyesters in this region are outlined.