Bending fatigue as a possible cause of degradation of textile webbings has been investigated using a dynamic bending apparatus. Changes in strength and thickness due to dynamic bending fatigue were measured on webbings used in automotive pas senger restraints (seat belts). Influences of abrasion and webbing tension were also considered. Webbing strength dropped by about 8% after 500,000 fatigue cycles. Re peated bending also caused an increase in webbing thickness, indicating relative move ment of fibers and yarns in the fabric. Some explanations for this behavior are given.
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