Enhancing Stress Dispersion through Interfacial Strategy in Multidimensional Spacer Fabric Reinforced Polyurethane

Multidimensional structure warp-knitted spacer fabrics (WKSFs) are integrated with polyurethane elastomers (PUEs) to fabricate shear-resistant reinforced composite materials, demonstrating a 58% enhancement in shear strength compared to pristine PUEs. We quantitatively evaluated the interface thickness and adhesion between WKSFs and PUEs to assess the influence of the physical and chemical properties of the interface on stress conduction and dispersion. The results demonstrate that the stress transfer efficiency and overall reinforcement are highly dependent on the interface quality and the mesh structure of the WKSFs. Finite-element analysis reveals a multidimensional stress dispersion mechanism within the structure, leading to a more effective stress distribution from a theoretical perspective. The findings provide insights into the stress dispersion in different directions of warp-knitted spacer fabric fibers and offer practical guidelines for designing advanced high-performance, energy absorbing, and shear-resistant materials for applications such as protective systems, structural reinforcement, and energy storage.