Study of three-dimensional spacer fabrics:: Physical and mechanical properties

Spacer is a three-dimensional knitted fabric consisting of two outer textile substrates which are joined together and kept apart by spacer yarns. Spacer fabrics are used for environmental reasons, which can be used in different product groups such as mobile textiles (car seat covers, dashboard cover), industrial textiles (composites), medical textiles (anti-decubitus blankets), sports textiles and foundation garments (bra cups, pads for swimwear). In this study, the characteristics of different spacer fabrics including low-stress mechanical properties, air permeability and thermal conductivity were investigated. Low-stress mechanical properties obtained by the KES-fabric evaluation system revealed that all tensile, bending and compression properties of spacer fabrics are greatly depending on the type of spacer fabric (warp knit or weft knit), the type of spacer yarn used (monofilament or multifilament), the yarn count of the spacer yarn, the stitch density and the spacer yarn configuration. Air permeability and thermal conductivity of spacer fabric are closely related to the fabric density. This experimental work suggests that carefully selecting the spacer fabric according to the envisaged application is of primary importance.