Comparison of the Use Purposes of PET Fiber and PP Fiber in the Geotextile Market

Geotextiles are essential structural materials widely used in various infrastructure applications such as roads, railways, drainage systems, soft ground reinforcement, and erosion control. The performance of nonwoven geotextiles is largely determined by the type of fiber used as the raw material. Currently, the two most widely used materials in the market are polyester staple fiber (PET) and polypropylene fiber (PP).

Due to their significantly different physical and chemical properties, these two fibers serve clearly distinct purposes even when used in the same type of nonwoven geotextile. This article systematically explains the functional roles and application purposes of PET fiber and PP fiber in the geotextile market.

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PET vs. PP: Item-by-Item Comparison

PET (polyester) and PP (polypropylene) have the following fundamental differences:

Item	PET (Polyester)	PP (Polypropylene)
Glass Transition Temperature (Tg)	70–80°C (High)	–10 to 0°C (Low)
Melting Point (MP)	255°C	160°C
Long-Term Creep Resistance	Excellent	Weak
Heat Resistance	High	Low
Environmental Resistance (UV · Acid · Alkali)	Excellent	Relatively vulnerable
Density	1.38	0.91 (Lightweight)
Unit Price (Actual Usage Basis)	Lower based on rPET	Relatively higher based on virgin grade
Web Formation Stability	Stable	Very soft and excellent
Suitable Applications	Long-term load-bearing infrastructure	Short-term, low-cost applications such as erosion control and drainage

This difference leads to a clear distinction in application purposes: PET is used for long-term load-bearing, durability, and structural stability, while PP is mainly used for short-term, low-cost, bulk applications such as drainage and erosion control.

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Applications of PET Geotextiles

PET is a fiber with exceptionally high durability and long-term load stability. Therefore, it is widely used in infrastructure fields where structural performance is critical, as outlined below:

1. Soft Ground Reinforcement (Soil Reinforcement) : PET offers excellent long-term creep resistance, allowing it to maintain strength over extended periods. It is ideal for ground stabilization exposed to sustained earth pressure and is especially suitable for high-load areas such as roads and bridge foundations.

2. Separation Layer for Roads and Railways : In structures where prevention of interlayer contamination and long-term stability are essential, PET is used almost as a standard material.

3. High-Load Drainage & Filtration Layers (Filter + Drainage) : PET experiences minimal strength deterioration due to humidity fluctuations, ensuring long-term stability in groundwater and drainage systems.

4. Applications Requiring High Environmental Resistance (Ports, Rivers, Dams) : PET demonstrates excellent resistance to acids, alkalis, salts, and seawater, making it ideal for riverbank protection, coastal and port construction, reservoirs, and dam reinforcement.

5. High-Strength Structural Applications (Heavy-Duty Geotextile) : PET nonwoven geotextiles are commonly used in high-strength environments with GSM ranging from 400 to 800 g/m² or higher.

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Applications of PP Geotextiles

Although PP is weaker than PET in terms of heat resistance and long-term load performance, it is still widely used in the market due to its price competitiveness, high productivity, lightweight density, and excellent bulkiness.

1. Erosion Control Geotextiles : PP nonwoven geotextiles are lightweight and maintain excellent thickness and bulk, making them widely used for slope protection, soil loss prevention, and short-term stabilization works.

2. Drainage and Separation Layers : PP geotextiles are economical for applications focused mainly on drainage or where long-term structural loads are not required. Demand for PP is particularly high in the low-GSM range (100–200 g/m²).

3. Agricultural, Horticultural, and Landscaping Applications : Thanks to its low material cost, PP geotextiles are commonly used for weed control sheets, agricultural mats, and landscaping construction mats.

4. Temporary Construction Projects : For projects where long-term durability is not required, PP offers a more economical solution.

5. Mass Consumption in Low-Price Markets (Developing Countries) : PP offers very high productivity and excellent web formation, which significantly reduces manufacturing costs. As a result, PP-based geotextiles remain the industry standard in markets such as India, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.

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Choosing Between PET and PP

• Why PET Is Selected

  
  

  PET is optimized for infrastructure applications such as roads, bridges, ports, and rivers because it offers outstanding advantages including long-term load safety, high thermal stability, excellent environmental resistance (to acids, salts, and UV exposure), and superior structural performance (uniform tensile strength and elongation).

• Why PP Is Selected

  
  

  PP is chosen mainly for its cost efficiency. Although this may appear reversed when compared with rPET, virgin-grade PP is generally more affordable, offers higher productivity, and has a lightweight density that provides excellent bulk thickness. These characteristics make PP highly suitable for erosion control, drainage, agriculture, and short-term, low-cost applications.

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Conclusion – PET and PP Form a “Function-Based Division of Roles"

In the geotextile market, PET and PP are not competing materials. Instead, their applications are naturally divided based on the specific performance requirements of each project.

• Long-term structural applications → PET

• Short-term, low-cost, bulk-required applications → PP

  
  

These two materials fulfill different functional purposes, and in real market conditions, they coexist within a hybrid application structure rather than a competitive one.

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DK FIBER supplies PET fibers optimized for road construction, ground reinforcement, drainage, and infrastructure projects.

• Solid PET Fiber: 6D / 7D / 15D

• Cut Length: 32mm / 38mm / 51mm / 64mm

  
  

We are fully prepared to analyze your specific requirements and recommend the most suitable PET fiber specifications for your application.