Influence of woven fabric density on its thickness subjected to tensile stress

Abstract

This paper investigates the impact of fabric density on the thickness change of the fabric when the samples are exposed to uniaxial tensile forces in the warp and in the weft direction. During stretching, the fabric thickness is changing depending on the value of the tensile force. In an effort to be as precise as possible to measure dynamic thickness changes of the fabric, and simultaneously collect all the required values about the change of the tensile force, extension and the area on which tensile force acts, new measuring apparatus are designed and manufactured. This measuring apparatus allows the simultaneous measurement of dynamic thickness of fabric, the fabric contraction and related tensile axial forces. Measurements of dynamic thickness of fabric, breaking force and breaking extension during stretching process were carried out on five samples of cotton woven fabric with a constant warp density and different weft densities with the same structural plain weave. Based on the experimentally obtained values, the paper presents diagrams of the relationship between dynamic changes in the thickness of the fabric in relation to the tensile force and extension. Also, the comparison is made between real and conventional operating stress diagram for the fabrics. The researches presented in this paper have shown that an increase in the tensile force increases the thickness of the fabric for all weft densities and warp densities.