Polyester modified with polyethylene glycol and pentaerythritol

A polyester composition that is particularly suitable for filament, said composition consisting essentially of:

• polyethylene terephthalate;
• polyethylene glycol in an amount sufficient to increase the wetting and wicking properties of a filament made from the composition to a level substantially similar to the wetting and wicking properties of cotton but less than the amount that would reduce the favorable elastic memory properties of said polyester composition, said amount being greater than about 4 percent up to about 20 percent by weight based upon the weight of the composition;
• and
• a chain branching agent selected from the group consisting of trifunctional alcohols and acids and tetrafunctional alcohols and acids that will copolymerize with polyethylene terephthalate,
• said chain branching agent being present in said composition in an amount sufficient to raise the melt viscosity of said polyester composition to a level that permits filament manufacture with said amount of said polyethylene glycol and under conditions that are substantially the same as those under which filament can be formed from unmodified polyethylene terephthalate.