Compression properties of different structures UHMWPE fiber weft knitted composites

For ultra-high property and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber's (UHMWPE) characteristics, three kinds of knitted fabric including weft plain, rib, cardigan were successfully woven. The six-layers rib weft plain, six-layers and six-layers cardigan knitted composites were made by vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) technology. Compression tests of three kinds of composites were conducted. And then we analyzed the specific compressive strength-strain curves, specific compression energy-strain curves, specific compression energy-strain fitting curves, and discussed the energy absorbing condition and damage form during the compression process and. The results show that the specific compression strength and specific compression energy of weft plain knitted composites are the biggest, the second is rib, the cardigan is minimum. And three weft knitted structural composites' compression fracture is not brittle fracture. Because of the good flexibility of the composites, samples' specific compression energy and compressive strain show linear correlation. For the composites of same structure, the longitudinal and transverse specific compression strength-strain curves, specific compression energy-strain curves are nearly coincident. The damage along reinforced structural matrix and deformation of resin plastic are the main forms of damage to the material.