Search Results (127)

This article focuses on developing a high-performance coated knitted fabric for automotive seat covers designed to meet the demands of the automotive industry and offer a viable alternative to current products. To achieve this, polyester yarns—commonly used and widely accepted in the market—were selected. Using these materials, six different knitted fabrics were produced, including two two-thread single jersey and four interlock structures. After undergoing pretreatment, the fabrics were stabilized using a stenter machine. Subsequently, they were coated using three distinct coating formulations with four layers and tested for tensile strength, elongation, bonding strength, and abrasion resistance (Martindale test) to assess their mechanical properties, as well as color fastness to perspiration, light, and crocking. The test results were then analyzed to identify the better fabric characteristics and the most effective coating formulation among those studied. Full article

This study investigated the preparation of bacterial nanocellulose yarn, a high-strength and high-modulus cellulose-based textile material. Compared with the previously used wet spinning and electrospinning methods, the film-cutting, drawing and twisting treatment method in this paper retains the natural structure of BNC. This can greatly transfer the high performance of BNC nanofibers to BNC yarns, making the mechanical properties of the prepared yarn much higher than those of the BNC yarns prepared by the above two methods. It was produced through a film-cutting and twisting process utilizing bacterial nanocellulose as the primary component. The effects of drafting and twisting on the characteristics and properties of the yarn were systematically examined. Comparative analyses were conducted between the bacterial nanocellulose yarn and conventional cotton yarn of equivalent fineness and twist in terms of appearance, tensile properties, frictional behavior, and bending resistance. Optimal tensile mechanical properties of the bacterial nanocellulose yarn were achieved at 1% elongation and a twist number of 160 r/20 cm, resulting in a breaking strength of 751.56 MPa and an elongation at break of 11.56%, surpassing those of cotton yarn of similar specifications. The spinnability assessment revealed a smooth surface for the bacterial nanocellulose yarn, characterized by low friction coefficient, robust bending resistance with a bending modulus of 718.76 GPa. These findings offer valuable empirical data and theoretical insights to guide the subsequent textile processing and utilization of bacterial nanocellulose yarn. Full article

This paper reports the spinning and wear comfort properties of polyethylene terephthalate (PET)/copolymer-PET (Co-PET) hollow yarns and their fabrics, as well as the effect of the wt.% of inorganic particles embedded in the core of the bicomponent yarns. The results are discussed in terms of the types and amounts of inorganic particles (titanium dioxide (TiO₂) and calcium carbonate (CaCO₃)) embedded in the sheath of the bi-component yarns (Kolon semi-dull (KSD), Kolon full-dull (KFD), and Kolon calcium carbonate (KCC) PET/Co-PET yarns). The three sheath/3-core bicomponent yarns developed in this study exhibited good spinnability and weavability with relatively strong tenacity and breaking strain. Their optimal spinning conditions were determined. The KCC PET/Co-PET fabric showed the greatest hollowness ratio, followed by the KFD PET/Co-PET and KSD PET/Co-PET fabrics. This might be attributed to the higher wt.% (2.5 wt.%) of CaCO₃ particles embedded in the sheath of the KCC PET/Co-PET yarns and to the larger particle size (0.8 μm) of CaCO₃. Regarding the wear comfort, the moisture management system (MMT) test indicated that the KFD PET/Co-PET fabric is suitable for market applications because of its good moisture absorption and rapid drying. The KFD PET/Co-PET fabric is useful for winter clothing applications because of its relatively high heat retention rate and lack of durability issues with washing. An examination of the wearing performance for fitness with a tactile hand feel showed that KFD and KCC/Co-PET fabrics imparted a softer tactile hand feel than the KSD PET/Co-PET fabric. On the other hand, the KCC PET/Co-PET fabric was assumed to have some issues with wearing durability. Full article

Carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were synthesized in situ on para-aramid fabrics (gCPO) via a low-temperature (450 °C) chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process to enhance interfacial pull-out, frictional, and fracture toughness characteristics. FESEM analysis confirmed CNT coverage on fiber surfaces, while FTIR, Raman, and XRD results indicated limited structural modification without significant polymer degradation. The CNT-functionalized fabrics exhibited a 66.19% increase in maximum pull-out force, 55.32% improvement in interlacement rupture strength, and a three-fold rise in intra-yarn shear resistance compared with control fabrics (KPO). The static and kinetic friction coefficients increased by 26.67% and 16.67%, respectively, due to CNT-induced surface roughness, enhancing inter-fiber load transfer and reducing slippage. Single-yarn pull-out tests revealed notable gains in energy dissipation and fracture toughness (up to 1769 J/m²), whereas multi-yarn pull-out performance decreased due to excessive friction surpassing filament strength. The study demonstrates that low-temperature MWCNT growth enables effective interfacial reinforcement of soft para-aramid fabrics, establishing a novel framework for meso-scale mechanical screening of flexible nano-ballistic composites. Full article

This paper presents a design analysis approach for migration nozzles used in the spinning process of synthetic fibers. A migration nozzle system consists of a yarn channel, air orifices, and a yarn loading slit. The entire system was analyzed in detail using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The design parameters considered include the cross-sectional shape of the yarn channel, as well as the diameter and number of air orifices. Two different cross-sectional shapes, square and circle, were examined. The diameter of the air orifice varied from 0.6 mm to 2.0 mm, and both single and double orifice configurations were studied. A square cross-section resulted in the formation of a secondary vortex above the main vortex, making the circular cross-section preferable. The diameter of the air orifice significantly affects the vortex flow within the yarn channel. Vortex flow characteristics were quantified in two ways: the vorticity averaged across the cross-section in the direction of the yarn channel and the vorticity at the centerline. The highest vorticity at the centerline was observed at a diameter of 1.3 mm for single air orifice and 0.9 mm for double air orifices. These CFD results were validated through comparison with corresponding experimental data. A statistical analysis confirms that the centerline vorticity, particularly in the area of the air orifice, is a key and reliable parameter for evaluating the design of migration nozzles. Full article

The increased consumption of apparel has resulted in a corresponding increase in the volume of waste textiles, with polyester–cotton blended textiles accounting for as much as 80% of the total. However, extant recycling methodologies are beset by challenges, including high cost and difficulty in separation. Mycelium has been shown to possess the ability to degrade complex components in culture substrates. The present study explores the feasibility of using polyester–cotton yarn as a substrate for mycelium composite materials, thus offering an innovative approach to the treatment of waste blended textiles. Five mycelium composite materials with varying polyester–cotton ratios were prepared and tested for mechanical strength, moisture resistance, and biodegradability. ANOVA analysis confirmed that all properties of the mycelium composites were significantly influenced by the polyester–cotton matrix ratio, with partial eta-squared (ηp²) exceeding 84% across all properties. The most significant effect was observed in compressive strength (ηp² > 99%). Experiments identified a 65:35 polyester–cotton ratio as yielding optimal comprehensive properties: namely, a compressive strength of 0.221 MPa and flexural strength of 0.791 MPa, coupled with excellent moisture resistance and biodegradability. This provides data support for the development of textile-based mycelium composite products. In light of the aforementioned performance studies and material characteristics, the development of three series of experiential home products was undertaken. Design evaluations were conducted to explore the potential application of mycelium composites, which could have significant implications for promoting sustainable development in the textile and apparel industry and advancing innovative designs for mycelium composite materials. Full article

This study investigates the elastoplastic behavior of phenol formaldehyde/polyvinyl butyral matrix (70% PF/30% PVB) reinforced with Kevlar^® fibers through comprehensive in-plane tensile testing. Cyclic loading–unloading tests were conducted at a 100%/min strain rate using a universal testing system at room temperature on $\left(0_4\right)$, $\left({90}_4\right)$, and ${\left(\pm 45\right)}_s$ laminates. The experimental results revealed significant nonlinear hardening behavior beyond yield stress, accompanied by yarn stiffening effects during loading cycles. A novel elastoplastic constitutive model was developed, incorporating Hill’s yield criterion adapted for orthotropic materials and an isotropic hardening function that accounts for equivalent plastic strains and progressive yarn stiffening. Laminates with other stacking sequences were also tested and the accuracy of the predictions of the nonlinear behavior was assessed. In these laminates, delaminations took place and the model provided an overestimation of the stress–strain response. Since the model could not predict delamination onset and propagation, an adaptation of the model considering fully delaminated interfaces brought a lower bound of this response. Despite the limitations of the model, it can be used to provide reasonable limits to the stress–strain response of laminates accounting for plastic strains within plies. This study provides essential mechanical properties and constitutive relationships for designing Kevlar^® composite structures with tailored stiffness characteristics for impact-resistant applications. Full article

Generative model-assisted design has become a trend, providing a new paradigm for knitted fabric image generation. The FLUX diffusion model was chosen to generate images in this study and was compared to other generative models. In order to effectively apply the large model to specialized verticals, an efficient fine-tuning method, low-rank adaptation, was used. Experiments showed that the method allows a pre-trained model to stably generate knitted fabric images in batches through easily understandable text prompts. The generated images have clear textures and correct structures, and can display the surface characteristics of knitted fabrics generated by using different yarn specifications and yarn bristles. Moreover, the unit tissue structural similarity index measure (SSIM) is 0.6528, which is very similar to real fabrics. This research expands the application of fabric generation in the field of deep learning. This method is highly efficient, low-cost, and capable of stably simulating knitted fabrics, which can be used to rapidly expand the image design materials of knitted fabrics. Full article

To overcome the complexity of yarn color measurement using spectrophotometry with yarn winding techniques and to enhance consistency with human visual perception, a yarn color measurement method based on digital photography is proposed. This study employs a photographic colorimetry system to capture digital images of single yarns. The yarn and background are segmented using the K-means clustering algorithm, and the centerline of the yarn is extracted using a skeletonization algorithm. Spectral reconstruction and colorimetric principles are then applied to calculate the color values of pixels along the centerline. Considering the nonlinear characteristics of human brightness perception, the final yarn color is obtained through a nonlinear texture-adaptive weighted computation. The method is validated through psychophysical experiments using six yarns of different colors and compared with spectrophotometry and five other photographic measurement methods. Results indicate that among the seven yarn color measurement methods, including spectrophotometry, the proposed method—based on centerline extraction and nonlinear texture-adaptive weighting—yields results that more closely align with actual visual perception. Furthermore, among the six photographic measurement methods, the proposed method produces most similar to those obtained using spectrophotometry. This study demonstrates the inconsistency between spectrophotometric measurements and human visual perception of yarn color and provides methodological support for developing visually consistent color measurement methods for textured textiles. Full article

Addressing the urgent need for lightweight and reusable energy-absorbing materials in aviation impact resistance, this study introduces an innovative multi-directional braided metamaterial design enabled by 4D printing technology. This approach overcomes the dual challenges of intricate manufacturing processes and the limited functionality inherent to traditional textile preforms. Six distinct braided structural units (types 1–6) were devised based on periodic trigonometric functions (Y = A sin(12πX)), and integrated with shape memory polylactic acid (SMP-PLA), thereby achieving a synergistic combination of topological architecture and adaptive response characteristics. Compression tests reveal that reducing strip density to 50–25% (as in types 1–3) markedly enhances energy absorption performance, achieving a maximum specific energy absorption of 3.3 J/g. Three-point bending tests further demonstrate that the yarn amplitude parameter A is inversely correlated with load-bearing capacity; for instance, the type 1 structure (A = 3) withstands a maximum load stress of 8 MPa, representing a 100% increase compared to the type 2 structure (A = 4.5). A multi-branch viscoelastic constitutive model elucidates the temperature-dependent stress relaxation behavior during the glass–rubber phase transition and clarifies the relaxation time conversion mechanism governed by the Williams–Landel–Ferry (WLF) and Arrhenius equations. Experimental results further confirm the shape memory effect, with the type 3 structure fully recovering its original shape within 3 s under thermal stimulation at 80 °C, thus addressing the non-reusability issue of conventional energy-absorbing structures. This work establishes a new paradigm for the design of impact-resistant aviation components, particularly in the context of anti-collision structures and reusable energy absorption systems for eVTOL aircraft. Future research should further investigate the regulation of multi-stimulus response behaviors and microstructural optimization to advance the engineering application of smart textile metamaterials in aviation protection systems. Full article

Obtaining stable ECG signals under both static and dynamic conditions, while ensuring comfortable wear, is a prerequisite for fabric-electrode applications. It is necessary to study the wearing pressure of fabric electrodes as well as their organizational structure. In this study, fabric electrodes with different organizational structures (plain weave, twill weave, and satin weave) were prepared using silver-plated nylon conductive yarns as weft yarns and polyester yarns as warp yarns. The electrical characteristics of these structures of fabric electrodes were analyzed under different wearing pressures (2 kPa, 3 kPa, 4 kPa, and 5 kPa), and their effects on the quality of static and dynamic ECG signals acquired from human body were examined. The results showed that the contact impedance of the twill and satin weave structured electrodes with the skin was smaller and more stable than that of the plain weave structured electrodes. Furthermore, when a wearing pressure of 3–4 kPa was applied to the satin-structured electrodes, they not only provided satisfactory comfort but also collected stable static and dynamic ECG signals during daily exercise. These results can provide a reference for the application of fabric electrodes in ECG monitoring devices and an important basis for the design of intelligent ECG clothing. Full article

Herein, an integrated system is developed based on knitted strain sensors for real-time translation of sign language into text and audio voices. To investigate how the structural characteristics of the knit affect the electrical performance, the position of the conductive yarn and the presence or absence of elastic yarn are set as experimental variables, and five distinct sensors are manufactured. A comprehensive analysis of the electrical and mechanical performance, including sensitivity, responsiveness, reliability, and repeatability, reveals that the sensor with a plain-plated-knit structure, no elastic yarn included, and the conductive yarn positioned uniformly on the back exhibits the best performance, with a gauge factor (GF) of 88. The sensor exhibited a response time of less than 0.1 s at 50 cycles per minute (cpm), demonstrating that it detects and responds promptly to finger joint bending movements. Moreover, it exhibits stable repeatability and reliability across various angles and speeds, confirming its optimization for sign language recognition applications. Based on this design, an integrated textile-based system is developed by incorporating the sensor, interconnections, snap connectors, and a microcontroller unit (MCU) with built-in Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology into the knitted glove. The complete system successfully recognized 12 Korean Sign Language (KSL) gestures in real time and output them as both text and audio through a dedicated application, achieving a high recognition accuracy of 98.67%. Thus, the present study quantitatively elucidates the structure–performance relationship of a knitted sensor and proposes a wearable system that accounts for real-world usage environments, thereby demonstrating the commercialization potential of the technology. Full article

With growing interest in wearable technologies, the development of flexible sensors and products that can monitor the human body while being comfortable to wear is gaining momentum. While various textile-based strain sensors have been proposed, their implementation in practical, exercise-specific applications remains limited. In this study, we developed a knitted strain sensor that monitors elbow angles, focusing on dumbbell exercise, which is a basic exercise in sports, and verified its performance. The material of the developed knitted strain sensor with a plain stitch structure comprised a silver-coated nylon conductive yarn and an acrylic/wool blended yarn. To evaluate the electrical and physical characteristics of the developed sensor, a textile folding tester was used to conduct 100 repeated bending experiments at three angles of 30°, 60°, 90° and speeds of 10, 30, 60 cpm. The system demonstrated excellent elasticity, high sensitivity (gauge factor = 698), fast responsiveness, and reliable performance under repeated stress, indicating its potential for integration into wearable fitness or rehabilitation platforms. Full article

In this paper, the energy absorption of Kevlar fiber and carbon fiber hybridized 3D woven composites under high-velocity impact loading was studied. A high-velocity impact model was established for the composites. The 3D Hashin and von Mises failure criteria were applied for the damage criteria of the yarn and matrix, and cohesive elements were inserted between them to simulate delamination. To validate the model, simulations were compared with test results. According to the results of the model, an algorithm based on artificial neural networks was also used to predict the hybridized composites for computational efficiency considerations. In the study of optimizing the energy absorption characteristics of three-dimensional woven structures, there is an optimal position and proportion of Kevlar hybridization to ensure the stiffness index of the structure. It is found that the position of Kevlar hybridization can result in considerable enhancement in the energy absorption of the target plate in the 3D woven structure. The proportion of Kevlar content affects the energy absorption of the optimal hybrid combination of the target plate. The energy absorption of the target plate can be effectively increased by adjusting the hybrid combination of different yarns under the condition that the Kevlar content proportion is constant, and the maximum energy absorption can be increased by 24.92%. Full article

Textile structures with ohmic (Joule) heating capability are frequently used for personal thermal management by tuning fluctuations in human body temperature that arise due to climatic changes or for medical applications as electrotherapy. They are constructed from electrically conductive textile structures prepared in different ways, e.g., from metallic yarns, conductive polymers, conductive coatings, etc. In comparison with other types of flexible ohmic heaters, these structures should be corrosion resistant, air permeable, and comfortable. They should not loose ohmic heating efficiency due to frequent intensive washing and maintenance. In this study, the basic electrical properties of a conductive fabric composed of a polyester/cotton fiber mixture and a small amount of fine stainless-steel staple fibers (SS) were evaluated and predicted. Even though the basic conductive component of SS fibers is iron and its electrical characteristics obey Ohm’s law, the electrical behavior of the prepared fabric was highly nonlinear, resembling a more complex response than that of a classical conductor. The non-linear behavior was probably due to non-ideal, poorly defined random interfaces between individual short SS fibers. A significant time–dynamics relationship was also shown. Using the Stefan–Boltzmann law describing radiation power, we demonstrated that it is possible to predict surface temperature due to the ohmic heating of a fabric related to the input electrical power. Significant local temperature variations in the heated hybrid fabric in both main directions (warp and weft) were identified. Full article