Evaluating the bending rigidity of flat textiles with the use of an Instron tensile tester

The purpose of this work is to verify the possibility of using an Instron tensile tester for evaluating those mechanical properties of flat textile fabrics which are responsible for their handle properties. A method of evaluating the bending rigidity of woven fabrics was developed. The method consists in axially compressing samples fixed at both ends and placed in a vertical position, which leads to their buckling. The bending rigidity was determined on the basis of the critical maximum force occurring at buckling, and the curvature of the buckled sample which appears as result of the action of this force. The results obtained by this method were compared with those obtained with the use of the FAST system. The good compatibility of both these methods was proved by the correlation coefficients