Analysis of the effect of traffic exposure on the recovery properties of cut pile carpet using analytical and viscoelastic modeling

Abstract

Viscoelastic models composing of different combination of spring and dashpot are usually used to explain the mechanical behavior of textile materials. In this work, a viscoelastic model was presented to analyze the effect of traffic exposure on the compression and recovery performance of the pile carpet. Wear test, performed by a Hexapod tumbling machine, was conducted to simulate the traffic exposure. Using a tensile tester, adjusted in compression mode, one cycle of compression–decompression was applied to the samples. The standard nonlinear model was presented to fit the experimental data. Best curve fitting based on the least square method was then used to fit the model to the experimental curve. Different attributions of compression were then analyzed and discussed. The results showed that the standard nonlinear model was fitted to the experimental curves with an acceptable coefficient of regression (R²). The district model parameters, i.e. the spring and dashpot constants, were both decreased as the wear cycles increased. At the higher level of wear cycles, the model parameters showed some increment. The initial compression modulus showed the same trend. This may be explained by the more compactness of the carpet at higher wear cycles. The decompression modulus, compression and the decompression work also decreased with the increase of wear cycles. However, no significant increase of the formers was observed at the higher wear cycles.

Keywords:

• Pile carpet
• compression
• decompression
• recovery
• viscoelastic model
• least square fitting

Acknowledgment

The authors would like to express their sincere thanks to the deputy of research of Isfahan University of Technology for the financial support.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.