Effects of process parameters on mechanical properties of coated fabrics

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of coating process parameters (base fabric, coating material, coating technique and production parameters) on mechanical properties of coated fabrics. Design/methodology/approach - In this research, 24 coated fabrics were produced under controlled production conditions by using two cotton base fabrics and two coating materials as polyurethane (PU), PU/silicone in order to study how coating affects some of the base fabric's mechanical properties such as breaking strength, breaking elongation, tear strength, bursting strength, bending rigidity and abrasion resistance. The measured data were evaluated with variance analysis to determine the effects of the coating parameters at 95 per cent confidence level. Findings - Breaking strength shows increments for almost all fabrics, whereas breaking elongation values decreased by coating application. Coating has a very clear influence on tear strength of coated fabrics due to the penetration of coating material into the fabric structure. Changes in bursting strength are not similar for two base fabrics with systematically changed production parameters. Coating improves all measured parameters of bending rigidity. Coating application enhances abrasion resistance though some broken fibers are observed on the fabric surface in scanning electron microscopy investigation. Originality/value - In the past few years, the researches on this area focused on investigating the effects of coating materials and layers on tensile properties. This study comprehensively examines the effects of several coating parameters on mechanical properties such as breaking strength, breaking elongation, tear strength, bursting strength, bending rigidity and abrasion resistance.