Influence of spacer fabric on functionality of laminates

Abstract Laminates for the automotive industry are composite materials that consist of at least two layers, at least one of which has textile properties. Automotive laminates are most commonly found in vehicle interiors, including door panels, dashboards, headliners, and seats. As part of the research, the influence of three-dimensional warp knitted spacer fabrics on the functionality of laminates was investigated. The experimental part was designed in such a way that the laminates were divided into two groups. The first group comprised laminates consisting of PU foam and two layers of warp knitted fabric (Locknit), while the second group comprised laminates consisting of polyurethane foam and three-dimensional warp knitted spacer fabric. The polyurethane foam in both groups was open cell. All laminates investigated in this work were produced by flame lamination. In the experimental part, the influence of the three-dimensional warp knitted spacer fabric on the typical mechanical properties and the permeability properties of laminates for car seats was analyzed. The results show that laminates with a thickness of more than 7 mm and a proportion of the 3D warp knitted spacer fabric of 50% achieve the highest permeability, delamination force, and tensile and compressive strength.