Difference Between Cotton and Polyester
Table of Contents
As we know, Cotton and Polyester are two materials that are widely used to make clothes. There are many differences between both the materials such as the way they are generated, the techniques that are used to transform the raw materials to the finished materials, their usages, advantages, disadvantages, etc. It depends upon person to person or season to season as to which material cloth to be used.
Cotton vs Polyester
The main difference between Cotton and Polyester is that there is the slightest difference in their origins. Cotton is generally considered to be a natural material as it is extracted directly from nature. On the other hand, Polyester is generally considered to be a man-made material as it is made by a man with the help of the technique by melting the PET Plastic Plates into the usable fabric for clothes.
Generally, cotton is a soft-white fluffy fiber that is annually grown and extracted from the cotton plant. It is referred to be a cellulose fiber. Cotton requires a lot of care such as a reasonable climate with an air temperature between 70° to 100°F (21-37°C) to bloom. Cotton is generally considered to be a natural material as it is extracted directly from nature.
On the other hand, Polyester is a fiber that is a bit harsh and generated chemical with the process of transforming to polyester yarns or fibers. It does not require any specific season and hence can be manufactured any time of the year. It is referred to be a synthetic fiber. Polyester is generally considered to be a man-made material as it is made by a man with the help of the technique by melting the PET Plastic Plates into the usable fabric for clothes.
Comparison Table Between Cotton and Polyester
| Parameters of Comparison | Cotton | Polyester |
| Definition | Cotton refers to the fiber that is soft and fluffy and hence it feels light. | Polyester refers to the fiber that is a bit plasticky in texture and hence it feels heavier. |
| Fiber Type | Cotton is referred to be a cellulose fiber. | Polyester is referred to be a synthetic fiber. |
| Origin | Cotton is generally extracted naturally from cotton plants. | Polyester is generally termed to be man-made. |
| Price | Usually, 100% pure cotton is expensive and significant. | Polyester is comparatively cheaper than cotton. |
| Biodegradable | Cotton is a natural fiber and therefore it quickly gets dissolved. | Polyester is not a natural fiber and therefore it takes time to get dissolve. |
| Weight | Cotton clothes are heavier in terms of weight. | Polyester clothes are comparatively lighter in terms of weight. |
| Temperate | The cotton plant requires a reasonable temperature between 21-37°C to produce cotton. | Polyester requires a high temperature between 120-130°C to compress the PET plastic plates to produce polyester. |
| Preference | Cotton fibers or cloths are widely preferred during the hot summer season. | Polyester fibers or cloths are widely preferred during the cold winter season. |
| Sustenance | Cotton fiber cloths help the skin to breathe and sustain. | Polyester fiber cloths usually clog the skin and can not easily sustain. |
| Pros | The pros of cotton are that it is soft, comfortable, gentle, light, popular, etc. | The pros of polyester are that it is long-lasting, gives warmth in winter, is odor resistant, does not shrink, dries quickly, etc. |
| Cons | The cons of cotton are easily sprinkled, expensive, slow to dry, heavier, etc. | The cons of polyester are less breathable, hot during summer, not quickly biodegradable, etc. |
What is Cotton?
Generally, cotton is a white and soft ball-like structure like fiber that is produced by the cotton plants annually. It is very delicate and soft in the initial stage. With the help of cotton, one can manufacture beautiful cotton clothes from it. Cotton clothes are really good quality clothes that are widely preferred during the winter reason. Cotton clothes are breathable yet give the slightest bit of warmth. Cotton is referred to be a cellulose fiber. It is referred to as cellulose fiber as it is extracted directly from the cotton plants and further it is transformed in the form of threads that helps to manufacture clothes.
Usually, 100% pure cotton is expensive and significant. This is because it is annually fetched from the cotton plants and it takes time to grow and hence it is expensive. The plant requires a reasonable temperature between 21-37°C to produce cotton annually. Cotton is a natural fiber and therefore it quickly gets dissolved. It is a biodegradable fiber that does not take time to dissolve.
The pros of cotton are that it is soft, comfortable, gentle, light, popular, etc. And on the other hand, the cons of cotton are easily sprinkled, expensive, slow to dry, heavier, etc. If someone wants to wear cotton clothes then they should remember this point and buy according to their convenience.
What is Polyester?
Polyester is a synthetic material that is used to make clothes. It is called synthetic because it is a man-made fiber that is used to make a wide variety of clothes. The process of making polyester includes the technique of compressing the PET plastic plates into the final synthetic thread to manufacture clothes. Polyester requires a high temperature between 120-130°C to compress the PET plastic plates to produce polyester. The texture of polyester clothes is a bit harsh and non-breathable. Polyester clothes are cheaper and are easily affordable by everyone.
Since we know that Polyester is not a natural fiber and therefore it takes time to get dissolve in nature. It can not directly be termed to be a biodegradable product, as it takes many decades to dissolve. The clothes are also light in weight and can be easily carried. Also, the polyester clothes are not breathable and hence it gives us warmth. Therefore, it is not at all preferred during the summers as it makes us feel hotter and it does not even absorb the sweat. It is only preferred during the winters.
There are many pros and cons of polyester or polyester clothes. The pros of polyester are that it is long-lasting, gives warmth in winter, is odor resistant, does not shrink, dries quickly, etc. Whereas, the cons of polyester are less breathable, hot during summer, not quickly biodegradable, etc.
Main Differences Between Cotton and Polyester
Conclusion
Some several fibers materials that are used to manufacture cloths and cotton and polyester fabrics are widely adorned by people. It depends upon one choice whether to wear cotton clothes or polyester clothes. There are a wide variety of differences between them. The price of both the materials also differs from each other. Where cotton is widely preferred during summers as it keeps us cool and on the other hand, polyester is widely preferred during the winters as it gives the body the slightest bit of warmth. There are respective pros and cons as well.
References
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