Physical Properties of Knitted Fabrics on Knitting Structure for Medical Compression Garments

Abstract

A study on compressive garments guarantee the required pressure and form depending on the type of disease and the state of injury can be used in the preventive treatment of cardiovascular disease. This research is to provide a preliminary data to develop medical clothing products, especially knitted compression garments. Starting from analyzing knitted structure of imported pressure goods to apply to test samples, 11 kinds of knitted stretchy fabrics were manufactured under the various knitting conditions, then their tensile, mechanical and hand properties were measured. In comparison size changes by knitting structure, tuck stitch applied structure showed an increase in course direction and decrease in wale direction. Float stitch applied structure indicated the contraction of size in width because of unformed loops and floated yarn on the technical back of fabric. As a result of tensile properties in tuck and float applied structure, tensile strength was increased in the course direction. On the other hand, the more loops overlapped due to the tuck and float stitch, the more decreased their elongation and elastic recovery were. In case of mechanical properties, as the tuck and float stitch were overlapped double or triple the bending and shearing properties were risen. Accordingly, the drape of fabric becomes stiff, and its surface becomes rough and uneven. The measurements of hand properties showed that the value of KOSHI, FUKURAMI NUMERI in tuck and float applied structure are higher than the plain structure. This results from the relationship between the mechanical and hand properties.