A systematic review of woven auxetic fabrics: Structural mechanisms, weave architectures, and manufacturing technologies

Woven auxetic fabrics are attracting significant research attention for their negative Poisson’s ratio (NPR) behavior, which offers potential applications in adaptive textiles, protective materials, composite reinforcements, and other advanced functional systems. This study presents a systematic literature review of woven auxetic fabrics, utilizing a PRISMA 2020-guided methodology to highlight the fragmentation of research across textile engineering, materials science, and mechanical design. A structured search of the Scopus database yielded 155 records, of which 29 empirical studies were included after systematic screening and eligibility assessment. The review synthesizes the structural mechanisms, weave architectures, material systems, and manufacturing technologies used in developing woven auxetic fabrics. Four principal mechanisms were identified: auxetic yarn architectures, elastic/nonelastic yarn combinations, differential shrinkage structures, and reentrant geometrical configurations. Comparative analysis indicates that the interaction between yarn architecture, weave geometry, and fabrication parameters strongly influences auxetic performance. The review further reveals substantial methodological heterogeneity across studies, including variations in testing procedures, strain conditions, and NPR measurement approaches, which limit direct quantitative comparison of reported results. The findings highlight the need for standardized evaluation protocols, systematic comparative experimentation, and greater consideration of manufacturability and durability. This review provides a consolidated evidence base for future research and development in woven auxetic textile systems.