| The mechanical properties of a laminated textile were characterized for use in an inflatable structure. The laminate aimed to combine high strength and low friction fabrics without drastically reducing the inherent drape characteristics of the individual fabrics. In this research, the high strength fabric remained constant, but other laminate components including adhesive, low friction fabric material, and the orientation of the low friction fabric were varied to understand their impact on final laminate properties. Tensile, bending, drape, and peel tests were conducted to examine the effects of adhesive, liner fabric material, and liner fabric orientation on laminate mechanical and durability properties. An Instron was used for tensile, peel, and a novel compressed loop test, while a Drape-flex Stiffness Tester was used for cantilever bending, and a PhabrOmeter was used for drape. Laminate surface morphology was analyzed via a SEM. Statistical analysis was applied to test results to understand the impact of laminate variables.;Additionally, an effort to objectively evaluate laminate drape using standard test equipment was made and traditional engineering theories were applied to fabrics to evaluate the tensile behavior of the flexible composite.;Through all the results from this study, the following conclusions have been reached. Laminates with higher peel strength rely on chemical bonding between the adhesive and fabric substrates. Changes to the adhesive, liner fabric, and liner fabric orientation had varying effects on laminate mechanical properties and durability. The optimal laminate, exhibiting the best drape and durability characteristics, was composed of weft oriented SilPoly and Bemis 3412 adhesive. The compressed loop load may be a reasonable method to objectively characterize laminate bending properties with a standard Instron tester and can be adopted into a materials selection process. |
