Analysis of the tensile stress relaxation of weft-knitted medical compression fabrics in view of the fabric structure

Stress relaxation will create interference in the performance of textiles in applications such as compression garments, pressure bandages, and varicose stockings in which keeping a definite level of pressure on the scar area is vital. Therefore, considering the effectual parameters on the stress relaxation of the fabrics will help to produce appropriate functional clothes. In this research, rib-knitted fabrics with different numbers of tuck stitches in successive wales have been fabricated and their stress relaxation has been surveyed. According to the findings, in all fabric structures, stress relaxation is higher in the wale direction compared to the course direction. In both directions, the stress relaxation linearly changes with the number of tuck stitches in the fabric structure. By increasing the number of tuck stitches, the stress relaxation of the fabric increases from 43% to 81% in the course direction whilst decreasing from 47% to 82% in the wale direction. Consequently, utilization of the tuck stitch in the structure of pressure bandages enhances their functionality, whilst diminishing the performance of compression garments and varicose stockings. Therefore, the use of knitted fabric consisting of tuck stitches is not recommended for pressure garments and varicose stockings.