Tensile and tearing properties of PVC coated biaxial warp knitted fabrics under biaxial loads

Abstract

The tensile and tearing behaviour of biaxial warp-knitted fabrics made with polyester fibre and coated with PVC under biaxial tensile loads has been studied. The typical tensile and tearing load-extension curves under biaxial tensile loads are presented and discussed. The failure mechanism of samples, in particular, by evaluation of the influence of crack length and direction under biaxial tensile loads is observed and analysed. The results show that the tensile properties of biaxial warp knitted fabrics coated with PVC depend on the yarn linear density, the densities of insertion and stitch yarns, the regularity of yarn tension during knitting and the quality of coated fabric. The pre-cracked tearing strength decreases with the increase in initial crack length and the maximum extension supported by a sample is increasing with the initial crack orientation.