Friction core-spun yams for electrical properties of woven fabrics

This paper reports a study to develop a spinning method of open-end friction core-spun yarn (OFCY) and its conductive fabric for shielding the electrostatic discharge and electromagnetic applications, To facilitate weaving of stainless steel (SW) and to reduce the material cost, initially OFCY yam was made from SW core and polyester (PET) and stainless steel staple (SS) fibers, produced by a DREF III open-end friction spinning method. The core-spun yams were woven into a variety of woven structures, which are made from semi-automatic loom, successfully. The conductive fabrics could be suitable for shielding home electronic and electrical appliances, cellular phones, and digital devices from electromagnetic fields. The variations of EMSE, and ESD of the woven fabric structure, and blend ratio of stainless steel yarns are also described. It has been shown that the EMSE and ESD attenuation of the woven fabric can be tailored in a number of ways including fabric structure, density, and the amount of conductive filler material. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.