The following fibre was invented & then later named as Terylene/Dacron:

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 3: Polyester

Polyester is the correct answer because both Terylene and Dacron are simply well-known trade names for the same synthetic fiber, which belongs to the general class of polymers called polyesters. The chemical name for this fiber's primary polymer is Polyethylene Terephthalate, or PET. The fiber was first invented and patented in 1941 by two British chemists, John Rex Whinfield and James Tennant Dickson, while working at the Calico Printers' Association. They originally named their pioneering fiber Terylene. Following the end of World War II, the American company DuPont acquired the rights to the British invention, refined the manufacturing process slightly, and introduced the fiber to the US market under their own trade name, Dacron. Therefore, the invention—a long-chain synthetic polymer with high strength and wrinkle-resistance—was the generic fiber Polyester, which then acquired the commercial names Terylene (in the UK/ICI) and Dacron (in the US/DuPont).

The incorrect option is 1: Nylon

Nylon is incorrect because it is a distinct, separate synthetic fiber with a different chemical composition and invention history. Nylon is classified as a polyamide, whereas Terylene/Dacron is a polyester (an ester polymer). Nylon was invented earlier, in 1935, by the American chemist Wallace Carothers at DuPont, and was famously launched to the public in 1938. While Nylon's success spurred the research that led to the invention of Polyester/Terylene, the two fibers are chemically and structurally unique. Nylon is also sometimes known by its chemical designation, such as Nylon 6,6, and was never called Terylene or Dacron.

The incorrect option is 2: Rayon

Rayon is incorrect because it is not a true synthetic fiber, but rather a regenerated cellulose fiber, making it semi-synthetic or man-made. It is produced by chemically treating natural cellulose, typically sourced from wood pulp, to create a usable fiber filament. Rayon was invented and commercially produced decades before Terylene or Dacron, initially gaining popularity in the late 19th century as a less expensive alternative to silk. Since Terylene/Dacron represents a twentieth-century breakthrough in fully synthetic polymers derived from petrochemicals, Rayon's earlier invention and natural-material base preclude it from being the fiber in question.

The incorrect option is 4: Linen

Linen is incorrect because it is a natural fiber and was never "invented" in a chemical laboratory. Linen is one of the oldest known textile fibers, extracted from the stalk of the flax plant, and has been cultivated and used for textiles for over 6,000 years. As a natural fiber, it is fundamentally distinct from the synthetic, chemically engineered material implied by the trade names Terylene and Dacron. The term 'invention' in the context of Terylene/Dacron refers to a new chemical polymer, which categorically excludes the ancient, plant-based fiber known as linen.