A Tearing Model for Warp Knitted Fabrics with Hexagonal Meshes

The resistance to tearing is an important characteristic of warp knitted fabrics. In this paper, tongue tear tests were performed on warp knitted fabrics with three different sizes of hexagonal meshes, and a mathematical model is established to outline the basic tearing behavior, the geometrical and mechanical effects on tearing properties are elucidated. The theoretical model is verified with tearing experiments of various samples which validated the efficiency and accuracy of the mathematical model. This model can be extended to benefit for the design and manufacture of textile products.