Abstract:

In the present paper, an assessment of the fatigue life of knitted (or knit) fabrics made of cotton yarns is discussed. Based on experimental investigations performed, the characteristics of material deterioration and damage were determined taking into account the direction of product elongation due to applied sine wave changing forces (sinusoidal loading). Aiming for a precise and adequate description of the phenomena occurring in the materials considered, a statistical approach to modelling and outcome analyses has been utilised. In the case of all knitted fabrics analysed, fatigue lives along the columns for both cases of tested yarns considered were higher than those related to the direction of rows of the knitted fabric. Fluctuated (variable) loading has a crucial influence on the deterioration of knitted fabrics, causing their damage. Within the process of fatigue damage to knitted fabrics, it was possible to observe the zone of reinforcement of threads in plait within the range of high-cycle loadings. Within the damage final phase, displacements of threads in plait are observed, which cause their separation and finally breakage of the product. Former investigations of the authors concerned similar statistical models for smooth and fancy yarns. The present work constitutes some additional investigations and assessment of fatigue life in relation to flat textile products. It was proven that the derived statistical models of fatigue life proposed are entirely suitable for the description of phenomena which happen to flat textile products during the damage process.