Polypropylene vs. polyester

From the GMA Techline

RE: Polypropylene vs. polyester?
I was hoping you may be able to provide some guidance regarding the material use of geotextile cushion within landfills. The manufacturer has suggested that their geotextiles are polyester, however we typically nominate a nonwoven, needlepunched, polypropylene geotextile.

(Alaa | Australia)

Reply: From the very beginning of geotextiles, polyester (PET) and polypropylene (PP) fibers and filaments have been competitive for the manufacturing of nonwoven fabrics. Both have some advantages and disadvantages over the other resin type. Over time, however, the lower cost of PP and the fact that it has a lower specific gravity has positioned it as the generally used resin type. The cost issue is obvious but the specific gravity issue is also important since one gets many more fibers per unit weight with PP geotextiles, about 25% more, which is a significant amount.

Today, we see polypropylene nonwoven geotextiles being used almost exclusively. This holds for both needlepunched and heat-bonded types.

Bob Koerner | GMA Techline