Potential fabric-reinforced composites: a comprehensive review

Abstract

Fabric-based laminated composites are used considerably for multifaceted applications in the automotive, transportation, defense, and structural construction sectors. The fabrics used for composite materials production possess some outstanding features including being lighter weight, higher strength, and lower cost, which helps explain the rising interest in these fabrics among researchers. However, the fabrics used for laminations are of different types such as knit, woven, and nonwoven. Compared to knitted and nonwoven fabrics, woven fabrics are widely used reinforcement materials. Composites made from fabric depend on different properties such as fiber types, origin, compositions, and polymeric matrixes. Finite element analysis is also further facilitating the efficient prediction of final composite properties. As the fabric materials are widely available throughout the world, the production of laminated composites from different fabric is also feasible and cost-effective. This review discusses the fabrication, thermo-mechanical, and morphological performances of different woven, knit, and nonwoven fabric-based composites.