Mechanical properties of polytetrafluoroethylene coated glass fabrics: Influence of weave pattern and coating percentage

Abstract

The present study reports the mechanical performance of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coated fabrics. Glass fabrics with two weave structures, three dimensional plain-woven knitted (3D) and satin weave (SW) were tested. These fabrics were coated with PTFE in different weight percentages (30% and 60%). Mechanical tests included uniaxial tensile, tear (double tongue and pendulum tear), puncture, yarn pull-out and low-velocity impact (LVI) tests. The influence of weave pattern and PTFE coating on these mechanical properties was investigated. In the case of yarn pull-out and tensile tests, 60% PTFE coated glass fabrics exhibited better performance due to the increased adhesive bonding and inter-yarn friction. However, the 30% PTFE coated glass fabrics exhibited better performance for tear, puncture, and LVI tests. The SW fabrics exhibited superior performance to the 3D fabrics in all the mechanical tests performed. Overall, the results indicate that SW fabrics offer better mechanical performance than 3D fabrics under different loading conditions. In terms of coating percentage, 30% PTFE coated fabrics exhibited better mechanical performance than the 60% coated ones.