Abstract
Knitted fabrics are preferred as clothing materials because of of their outstanding comfort quality. 16 plain knitted fabric samples were produced from 4 combed ring spun yarn of linear densities 29.5 Tex, 23.6, Tex 19.7 Tex and 17.4 Tex and 4 different stitch lengths from each yarn linear density were selected for this study. The fabric samples were relaxed and then tested for tensile shear and bending properties using Kawabata tester's. KES- FB1and KES- FB2. The effect of various fabric structural parameters on fabric low stress mechanical properties was studied. The fabric shear rigidity, bending rigidity, shear hysteresis, bending hysteresis, and tensile linearity were positively correlated with the fabric GSM, thickness, and tightness factor and negatively correlated with fabric linear Stitch modulus, areal stitch modulus, volume stitch modulus, and porosity. The fabric tensile elongation was positively correlated with the fabric linear stitch modulus, areal stitch modulus, volume Stitch modulus, and porosity and negatively correlated with the fabric GSM, thickness, and fabric tightness factor. The above properties were higher in course direction than in wale direction. Separate prediction equations were developed for fabric low stress mechanical properties from Tightness factor, Volume Stitch modulus, and Porosity