Effect of Various Knitting Techniques on Mechanical Properties of Biaxial Weft-Knitted Thermoplastic Composites

Abstract

Within the scope of experiments, five kinds of biaxial weft-knitted (BWK) fabrics with various knitting techniques (plain, interlock, tuck, tuck-miss, and interlock2) were used as reinforcement systems to fabricate thermoplastic composites with polypropylene (PP) resin yarn. Then, the final composite became BWK composites with various knitting types. The mechanical properties of composites were investigated by conducting tensile, three-point bending, and three-point bending impact tests on specimens. In all specimens, PP was commingled with glass yarn. Glass was used as reinforcement. Fiber volume fraction (Vf) of weft fibers of the interlock2 was the highest, and the length of straight part of loop shape was the longest in the interlock2 compared with the other four types of specimens. Because of the higher Vf of the BWK composites with the interlock2, tensile, three-point bending, and three-point bending impact properties of the interlock2 was higher than the other four types (plain, interlock, tuck, and tuck-miss) of composite structures. © The Author(s) 2014.