Abstract
Spacer fabrics are commonly used as cushioning materials. They can be reinforced by using a knitting method to inlay materials into the connective layer which reinforces the structure of the fabric. The compression properties of three samples that were fabricated by inlaying three different types of silicone-based elastic tubes and one sample without inlaid material have been investigated. The mechanical properties of the elastic tubes were evaluated and their relationship to the compression properties of the inlaid spacer fabrics was analysed. The compression behaviour of the spacer fabrics at an initial compressive strain of 10% is not affected by the presence of the inlaid tubes. The Young’s modulus of the inlaid tubes shows a correlation with fabric compression. Amongst the inlaid fabric samples, the spacer fabric inlaid with highly elastic silicone foam tubes can absorb more compression energy, while that inlaid with silicone tubes of higher tensile strength has higher compressive stiffness.
Highlights
Spacer fabrics are commonly used as cushioning materials
Spacer fabric consists of two surface layers that are connected by spacer yarns which form a connective layer
The elasticity of yarns used in the surface layer is one of the factors that contributes to the compression properties [12,13,14]
Summary
Cushioning materials can be found in many different types of apparel and wearable items that provide shock absorption and wearer protection. It has been shown that the compression properties of spacer fabric are related to the connective layer [16,17,18]. A composite structure that consists of additional silicone-based materials was investigated so as to enhance the cushioning properties of spacer fabric. A novel sandwich structure with inlaid silicone tubes in the connective layer of spacer fabric has previously been developed [27]. Silicone inlaid tubes offer extra support to reinforce the spacer structure so that the fabric can withstand pre-stress from the body during application without the flexibility and energy absorption properties being sacrificed. The inlaid materials can become a new parameter in adjusting the compression and cushioning properties of knitted spacer fabrics which allows the fabric to provide the desired energy absorption ability for various end-uses
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