Physical interpretation of pulling-out curve based on a new apparatus

A new apparatus that measures multiple mechanical properties through a single test in principle has been developed and presented, which could be used for handle evaluation of textile materials. The characterization system of the handle properties of fabrics and yarns (CHS-FY) is also capable of measuring mechanical properties, including the weight, bending, friction, and tensile behaviour, through just one pulling-out measurement. The measurement principle and structure of the CHS-FY system is described and the relations between mechanical properties and indexes of the pulling-out curve are investigated in the paper. The extraction force and distance curve was obtained and have been compared with the mechanical behaviour of fabrics as determined by Kawabata's Evaluation System for Fabrics (KES-FB) system. The mechanical properties correlate well with the characteristic indexes of the pulling-out curve, and the pulling-out curve could be divided into several steps, which include weight, bending, friction, and tensile behaviour. The steps mentioned above were validated from deformation by constructing a three-point beam structure. The high accuracy and correlations between mechanical behaviour and the pulling-out curve indexes show that the CHS-FY system is effective in measuring and characterizing the mechanical properties of fabrics.