Improving cushioning properties of a 3D weft knitted spacer fabric in a novel design with NiTi monofilaments

Abstract

Cushioning pads alleviate the effects of mechanical stress on the human body due to impacts and daily activities. One relevant application for such pads is orthopedic insoles used for diabetic foot to improve energy absorption and reduce stress gradient by using suitable materials and structures. This article considers a novel design that improves the energy absorption capabilities of cushioning pads. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the properties of the designed weft knitted spacer fabrics. Six groups of samples were knitted in which steel, polyamide, and shape memory alloy materials were utilized as spacer monofilament. Stress–strain, energy absorption and efficiency diagrams were obtained following the quasi-static compression tests carried out on the samples. Three investigation groups were adopted to evaluate the effect of the spacer monofilament material, diameter, and slope on energy absorption capacity. It was determined that shape memory alloy monofilament with 0.1 mm diameter was the optimum configuration to be utilized as spacer yarn in a typical 3D weft knitted fabric. It was also concluded that higher-inclined spacer monofilament in spacer fabric was the optimum choice for knitting cushioning pads as it absorbed more energy. The energy absorption capacity of the optimum design of spacer fabric obtained in this study, increased by a factor of 2.4 compared with commercial polyamide pads. This design can be utilized in any cushioning pad exposed to high mechanical stress due to impact, sports and daily activities.