Effects of Coated Knitted Polyester Fabric Properties on Strength and Color Fastness Performance of Automotive Seat Cover

This article focuses on developing a high-performance coated knitted fabric for automotive seat covers designed to meet the demands of the automotive industry and offer a viable alternative to current products. To achieve this, polyester yarns—commonly used and widely accepted in the market—were selected. Using these materials, six different knitted fabrics were produced, including two two-thread single jersey and four interlock structures. After undergoing pretreatment, the fabrics were stabilized using a stenter machine. Subsequently, they were coated using three distinct coating formulations with four layers and tested for tensile strength, elongation, bonding strength, and abrasion resistance (Martindale test) to assess their mechanical properties, as well as color fastness to perspiration, light, and crocking. The test results were then analyzed to identify the better fabric characteristics and the most effective coating formulation among those studied.