Abstract
With the rapid development of technical textiles, more and more researchers have focused on developing high performance textiles to meet various needs. The automotive industry is a major market for technical textiles. Compared to other types of fabric, weft-knitted fabric has good extensibility and elasticity, as well as a hand-feel, and it is gradually becoming the preferred type of interior fabric for automobiles. This paper aims to develop an automotive fabric with good comfort and durability. Sixteen types of weft-knitted fabrics with eight different structures and two different materials (draw textured polyester and textured polyamide yarn) were fabricated using a computerized flat knitting machine. Their durability and level of comfort were examined by measuring the tensile and tear strengths, abrasion resistance and air permeability. A fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method was employed to compare the comprehensive properties of the fabric. The results indicated that the overall performance of DTPA fabric was better than DTPE fabric, and an optimum structure was selected for an automotive interior. Meanwhile, we found that the air permeability of the fabric could be increased by using tuck stitches and that the strength and dimensional stability of fabric could be increased by adding tuck stitches and weft-insert yarns. The findings contribute to the field of technical textiles and provide ideas for the development of high-performance textiles.
Highlights
Technical textiles have been regarded as textile manufactured for their technical and functional features, rather than for their decorative and aesthetic characteristics
It can be up to 1.5–2.0 times higher than for other structures. The reason for this is because the used tuck stitches can form holes on the surface of the fabric, which allows more air to pass through the surface of the fabric
This study evaluated the mechanical properties and level of comfort offered by sixteen kinds of fabric samples with eight different structures and two different materials
Summary
Technical textiles have been regarded as textile manufactured for their technical and functional features, rather than for their decorative and aesthetic characteristics. One of the largest markets for technical textiles is the automobile industry, which uses an average of 20 kg for each of the 45 million or so cars produced globally each year [8]. With advancements in living standards, cars have gradually become an indispensable part of life worldwide. Advancements in textile technologies mean that fabrics have begun to replace leather as the preferred automotive interior material, and using textiles is considered to be environmentally friendly, functional and economical. Automakers are increasingly favoring the usage of weft-knitted fabrics for different
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