Characterization of the Viscoelastic Properties of Yarn Materials: Dynamic Mechanical Analysis in Longitudinal Direction

Warp knitting is a highly productive textile manufacturing process and method of choice for many products. With the current generation of machines running up to 4400 min−1, dynamics become a limit for the production. Resonance effects of yarn-guiding elements and oscillations of the yarn lead to load peaks, resulting in breakage or mismatches. This limits material choice to highly elastic materials for high speeds, which compensate for these effects through their intrinsic properties. To allow the processing of high-performance fibers, a better understanding of the viscoelastic yarn behavior is necessary. The present paper shows a method to achieve this in longitudinal yarn direction using a dynamic mechanical analysis approach. Samples of high tenacity polyester and aramid are investigated. The test setup resembles the warp knitting process in terms of similar geometrical conditions, pre-loads, and occurring frequencies. By recording the mechanical load resulting from an applied strain, it is possible to calculate the phase shift and the dissipation factor, which is a key indicator for the damping behavior. It shows that the dissipation factor rises with rising frequency. The results allow for a simulation of the warp knitting process, including a detailed yarn model and representation of stitch-formation process