Analysis of the dynamic properties of elastic knitted fabric for sportswear: inverse stress relaxation

Abstract

In recent decades, sports and medical products, such as compression underwear and stockings, have been increasingly receiving more attention as more and more urbanites are beginning to focus on their health issues. In terms of compression garments, inverse relaxation takes place with frequent wear. Pressure retention on leg, body shaping, and muscle movement control during activity are highly related to this phenomenon. Elastic knitted fabrics are widely used for sportswear clothing. They have good mechanical and dynamic properties, which include good elasticity, recovery, tensile strength, etc. These properties have been extensively and recently studied by different researchers. However, the inverse relaxation of elastic knitted fabric is not a topic of study in the literature. In response to the research gap, this study systematically investigates the inverse stress relaxation of elastic knitted sportswear. A theoretical model is applied and validated through a series of experiments. The factor that affects the process of inverse relaxation and the relationship between relaxation and inverse relaxation are analyzed both theoretically and experimentally. The mechanism behind the structural deformation of elastic knitted fabric can then be intuitively revealed. This study therefore provides a new perspective for improving sportswear performance through fabric stitch design and engineering.