Quantifying Anti Friction Lubricant Protection Limits for Elastane Cores under High Drag Jet Processing
Sustaining a 1.8 percent ester lubricant film on elastane cores prevents elastomeric rupture when jet nozzle pressure exceeds 2.2 bar.
Air Covered Yarn
Structural Category
Continuous multifilament yarn produced by combining an elastomeric core with a textured synthetic companion thread using a compressed pneumatic stream represents a primary category of stretch textile components. This structure, known as air covered yarn, relies on periodic interlacings rather than physical wrapping to secure the components. It runs through knitting machines with minimal friction.
Mechanical Delivery
Pneumatic intermingling processes depend on precise overfeed ratios to determine the final density and stretch characteristics of the yarn. During processing, the tension on the spandex core is maintained to ensure uniform spacing of the nodes. This method offers high production speeds.
The resulting air covered yarn displays a soft hand and high stretch recovery.
Production Performance
Circular knitting machines running elastic fabrics require stable feed packages to prevent yarn breakage during high speed stitching. Unwinding behavior of air covered yarn is highly consistent because there is no twist to cause snarling or twist liveliness. This stability minimizes needle damage and knitting defects in the fabric.
Less downtime occurs on the knitting floor.
Quality Verification
Standard test procedures for composite yarns focus on the frequency and stability of the pneumatic entanglements. In evaluating air covered yarn, technicians measure the nip count per meter using an electronic counter or water immersion (a process that reveals the node spacing under zero tension). A low node count results in separation during knitting, while excessive nodes create visible striping in the dyed fabric.
The node stability is verified by applying a specific load to ensure the yarn maintains its integrity under tension.