Abstract: The bursting morphology and failure mechanism of coated multi-axial warp-knitted fabrics are studied. The quasi-static bursting tests of PE-coated, PU-coated and TPEE-coated fabrics were conducted on a Constant-Rate-of-Traverse (CRT) Tensile Testing Machine respectively. The deformation of the three kinds of fabric was observed and compared during the bursting process. The load-displacement curves were also obtained and discussed to explain the failure mechanism of the materials and the effects of bursting mechanism on the coated fabrics. It is concluded that the bursting strength of the coated fabric mainly depends on the reinforce fabric, while the failure mechanism depends largely on the coating material.

Key words: multi-axial warp knitting; coated fabric; bursting properties