Research on the modulus variation of composites made of a spacer fabric coupled with 3D printing materials

Compared with ordinary sponge materials, spacer fabrics as mattress materials have better pressure relief, breathability, and moisture permeability. In addition, the pattern can have a tailored design, the production process is more environmentally friendly, and the production efficiency is higher. When used as a mattress material, in order to better comply with ergonomics, it is required that the spacer fabric provide different cushioning properties in different areas. Based on these requirements, this paper first studied the pressure relief mechanism of spacer fabrics, and then combined them with 3D printing materials according to the principle of structural coupling. In this paper, 3D printing materials with three different Shore hardness of 50°, 70°, and 85° and four different pillar heights of 7, 9, 11, and 13 mm were selected along with a spacer fabric resulting composite materials on which experiments were carried out. The experimental results showed that the modulus of the composite material increased by a factor of 4.7 and the energy absorption increased by 78%. The experimental results have shown that in doing this the resultant composite materials exhibit different buffering properties and buffering moduli. This provides theoretical support and guidance for the application of spacer fabrics in mattresses.