Methods of Evaluating Knitted Fabrics with Elastomeric Threads in the Design Process of Compression Products

One of the most important stages in the design process of compression products is describing the relationship between the force and elongation of the knitted fabric, using appropriate and scientifically justified force values in the fabric undergoing a stretching and relaxation test, in the form of a hysteresis loop. Research on this issue was carried out on two variants of knitted fabrics with elastomeric threads – a warp and a weft – knitted one. Based on the functions of the relation between the force and relative elongation determined and on Laplace’s law, compression bands with intended values of unit pressure were designed and manufactured and then subjected to experimental verification. In addition, a procedure was presented for dividing compression fabrics into specific compression classes.