Thermo‑mechanical behavior of stainless steel knitted structures

Heating fabric is an advanced textile material
that is extensively researched by the industrialists and the
scientists alike. Ability to create highly flexible and drapeable
heating fabrics has many applications in everyday life.
This paper presents a study conducted on the comparison
of heatability of knitted fabric made of stainless steel
yarn. The purpose of the study is to find a suitable material
for protective clothing against cold environments. In
the current research the ampacity of stainless steel yarn is
observed in order to prevent the overheating of the heating
fabrics. The behavior of the knitted structure is studied
for different levels of supply voltage. Infrared temperature
sensing is used to measure the heat generated from the fabrics
in order to measure the temperature of the fabrics without
physical contact. It is concluded that interlock structure
is one of the most suited structures for knitted heating fabrics.
As learnt through this research, fabrics made of stainless
steel yarn are capable of producing a higher level of
heating compared to that of knitted fabric made using silver
coated polymeric yarn at the same supply voltage.