Spacer fabrics have three dimensional structure comprising of two outer surfaces and a connection layer which combines two outer surfaces. Due to their special construction spacer fabrics show different properties which can not be met by conventional textiles. Despite spacer fabrics are not quite new from technologic point of view; demands for special textile structures turn considerations to spacer fabrics in recent years. Therefore during last few years investigations and developments on spacer fabrics become more attractive. These innovative researches make it possible to produce spacer fabrics with different properties which can be used a wide range of applications. Spacer fabrics can be produced through weaving, weft knitting and warp knitting processes. However warp knitting technology is the most commonly known and applied technology for the production of spacer fabrics. The three dimensional construction and the possibility of using a variety of different materials make spacer fabrics ideal for functional applications such as automotive textiles, medical textiles, geotextiles, sportswear, apparel products, protective textiles and composites. In this article, detailed information about definition, production methods, properties and application areas of spacer fabrics is given.
Key Words: Spacer fabrics, properties, production methods, application areas
