Abstract:

This work presents the electrostatic properties of knitted fabrics destined for protective clothing used to protect humans against static electricity. The aim of this research work is to estimate the electrostatic properties of knitted fabrics in dependence on the degree to which their structure is filled with basic yarn, and on the content of the electro-conductive yarn added. The knitted structures were developed for manufacturing by warp knitting, with the assumption that the electro-conductive yarn will be periodically worked into the background made of the basic yarn. Three variants of triple-needled wale-left/right-knitted fabrics were the test material. They differed in the degree to which they were filled with the background made from polyester (polyethylene terephtalate – PET) yarn. The electro-conductive yarn was introduced into the knitted fabric’s structure in the form of vertical weft. The weaves applied resulted in anti-electrostatic knitted fabrics with a heterogeneous structure being obtained. We assessed the anti-electrostatic properties and selected usage properties of the fabrics manufactured. The results obtained confirmed that all the knitted fabrics we developed meet the requirements of standards concerned with anti-electrostatic protective clothing, and that their properties depend on the structural solutions applied.