Mechanical Characteristics of Coated Fabrics

When fabrics are coated, their deformation behaviour changes considerably. The tensile, shear, and bending properties of four typical coated fabrics have been measured using the FAST system and an Instron tensile machine. The fabrics were measured before coating, after coating and after subsequent stretching or shearing treatment. Empirical polynomial functions were fitted to the experimental load–extension curves to allow the calculation of strain energies for comparison purposes. Mechanical treatment in the form of stretching or shearing partly restored the original fabric properties and so might be beneficial in apparel applications.