Compression properties of polyester needlepunched fabric

Abstract

In the present paper, a study of the effects of fabric weight, fiber cross-sectional shapes (round, hollow and trilobal) and presence of reinforcing material on the compression properties (initial thickness, percentage compression, percentage thickness loss and percentage compression resilience) of polyester needle punched industrial nonwoven fabrics is presented. It was found that for fabrics with no reinforcing material, the initial thickness, compression, and thickness loss were higher than fabrics with reinforcing material, irrespective offiber cross-section. Compression resilience data showed the reverse trend. Initial thickness for trilobal cross-sectional fabric sample was highest followed by round and hollow cross-sectioned polyester needle punched fabrics. The polyester fabric made from hollow cross-sectioned fibers showed the least percentage compression at every level of fabric weights. The trilobal cross-sectioned polyester fabric sample showed higher thickness loss followed by round and hollow cross-sectioned polyester fabric samples respectively. The hollow cross-sectioned polyester fabric samples showed maximum compression resilience followed by round and trilobal cross-sectioned polyester samples irrespective of fabric weights. The initial thickness increases, but percentage compression, thickness loss and compression resilience decreases with the increase in fabric weight irrespective of fiber cross-sectional shapes.