Fibers/fabrics coated with conductive polymers exhibit sensing capacities for external stimuli like strain, temperature, relative humidity, etc. In this paper, we present our recent investigation of the sensing behavior and mechanical analysis of polymer fibers coated with an intrinsically conductive polymer, i.e., polypyrrole (PPy). PPy-coated PA6 fibers and PPy-coated Lycra fibers are prepared by chemical vapor deposition using pyrrole in the presence of an oxidizing agent, and their electromechanical behavior under tensile load is studied experimentally. The mechanism governing the electromechanical behavior of these conductive fibers is investigated, and the effects of various factors that are respon sible for variations in the electrical resistance are discussed. An electromechanical model is proposed that correlates the resistance change with the applied strain, the damage level of the conductive fibers, the environmental temperature, and the relative humidity. The model provides a theoretical basis for the analysis and design of electrically conductive fabrics.
This paper investigates the relationships between fabric formability (a fundamental measure of fabric tailorability), bias extension and shear resistance. The experimental investigation has been performed on a range of thirty-one (fifteen pure wool, twelve wooVpolyester blends, one wooVrayon blend and three pure linen) suiting and trousering materials varying in mass per unit area from 125 to 258 g/m2. Low stress mechanical properties measurements of fabric bending, shear and tensile deformations were obtained using the KES (Kawabata Evaluation System) testers. Furthermore, the 45-degree bias extension behaviour of these fabrics was measured using an Instron extensometer. Following Spivak and Treloar's analysis [12], the bias load-extension and recovery curves were analysed to obtain equivalent shear stress/strain hysteresis curves. The two measures of shear rigidity, one obtained from the KES shear hysteresis curves and the other calculated from the bias extension tests, have been compared for the series of 31 fabrics. Relationships between fabric formability (defined as the product of tensile extensibility under low load and the bending rigidity) and its shear resistance are analysed. In addition, the work also covers the investigation on the relationships between fabric shear properties and formability in bias direction.
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