Parachute Fabric Properties

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Offline MEGH

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Parachute Fabric Properties
« on: September 01, 2013, 09:29:04 PM »
Parachute Fabric
A parachute fabric is specifically designed for parachutes. Due to its high strength and longevity, a parachute fabric is immensely used in parachutes. Parachutes were once made from silk but now they are almost always constructed from more durable woven nylon fabric, sometimes coated with a - silicone - zero porosity coating to improve performance and consistency over time.
Parachute fabric has been ruling the parachute world for long time and no competitor appears to be displacing it form the top spot in near future. Parachutes are made with great prudence using parachute fabrics that are in tune with various new technologies. As manufactured to suit the requirement of most discerning people, the parachute fabric capable of impressing anyone

Fabric for canopy
Suggested material is lightweight ripstop nylon. For the prototype parachute that I constructed, I simply used a nylon shower curtain, which was nearly ideal, the only drawbacks being it was not ripstop and that it was somewhat heavier fabric than was necessary. It had a nice tight weave, not surprisingly, since it's intended purpose dictates that it be water-resistant! The following table lists the specifications for commercial parachute fabrics, as well as for the fabric that I used for the prototype parachute:
Parachute Fabric Properties
         WARP   FILL   THICKNESS   TEARING   BREAK   AIR
MIL      WEIGHT   COUNT   COUNT      STRENGTH   STRENGTH   PERMEABILITY
CODE   TYPE   (oz/sq.yd.)   (per in.)   (per in.)   (in)   (lbs)   (lbs/in)   (CFM/sq.ft)
498E   D   0.88   90   90   N.A.   2.5   40   300-500
498E   G   0.88   90   90   N.A.   2.5   40   100-325
7020H   I   1.10   120   120   0.003   5.0   42   80-120
7020H   II   1.60   120   120   0.004   5.0   50   100-160
44378   I   1.17   126   132   0.003   5.0   45   0-5
*   *   1.81   80   100   0.004   N.A.   47   N.A.
*  IKEAtm, Billingen shower curtain (white) or Rosanna (off-white), 180x200 cm.; p/n 17763 (Billigen), 14331 (Rosanna), $14.50 CAD (sufficient fabric to make two 1-metre diameter canopies). Fabric for both is identical (100% nylon). The latter has a water-repellant coating, but this can be eliminated (before dyeing) by washing the fabric in hot water with laundry detergent. Properties listed for this fabric were determined by measurement and/or testing.
________________________________________
Fabric Dye
One half of the quantity of fabric that was used to make the canopy was dyed red. The dye used was:
•   RIT tm, tint & dye, #5 scarlet, one 32 gram package, $1.77 CAD.
________________________________________
Cord for shroud lines
The type that I used was braided nylon cord, the kind that is sold in the camping department of stores. The specific type that I used was:
•   World Famoustm, p/n 3150, 15 m. package, $2.47 CAD.
The approximate width and thickness of the cord, measured under light tension loading, are :
•   width = 0.175 in. (4.5 mm)
•   thickness = 0.050 in. (1.27 mm)
and the cord tested breaking strength is:
•   Breaking strength = 185 lbs (822 N.) average
________________________________________
Sewing thread
The thread that was used for machine stitching the canopy together and for sewing the shroud lines to the canopy was the following:
•   Coats tm, 100% nylon upholstery thread, 137 m. spool, $2.79 CAD
The measured diameter, and tested breaking strength of the thread are:
•   Diameter = 0.013 in. (0.33 mm)
•   Breaking strength = 9 lb. (40 N.) average
________________________________________
Seam Binding
The seam binding that was used to join the canopy panels was as follows:
•   Wrights tm, Iron On Hem Tape, 100% polyester, PC22, 2.75 m. package, $1.97 CAD

which is identical to the
•   Wrights tm, "Soft and Easy" Seam binding, 100% polyester, PC16, 2.75 m. package, $1.97 CAD

except that the hem tape has heat activated adhesive to facilitate the joining process.
The measured dimensions and tested breaking strength are:
•   width = 0.525 in. (13 mm)
•   thickness = 0.005 in. (0.13 mm)
•   Breaking strength (longitudinal) = 61 lbs (271 N.) average
•   Breaking strength (transverse) = 46 lbs/in (81 N/cm.) minimum

Offline nawshin farzana

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Re: Parachute Fabric Properties
« Reply #1 on: September 05, 2013, 12:25:53 AM »
good information

Offline adnanmaroof

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Re: Parachute Fabric Properties
« Reply #2 on: September 08, 2013, 04:41:59 PM »
Very helpful and informative knowledge. Such knowledge sharing would definitely help us in the sector of Hi-tech textiles.

Offline shimo

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Re: Parachute Fabric Properties
« Reply #3 on: September 09, 2013, 04:29:27 PM »
This information is very much helpful for everyone.

Offline fahmidasiddiqa

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Re: Parachute Fabric Properties
« Reply #4 on: November 17, 2013, 03:23:38 PM »
good post..thanks for sharing...actually we all need to know about this kind of uses of textiles

Offline naser.te

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Re: Parachute Fabric Properties
« Reply #5 on: October 21, 2016, 12:43:32 PM »
Informative post.
Abu Naser Md. Ahsanul Haque
Assistant Professor
TE, DIU

Offline smriti.te

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Re: Parachute Fabric Properties
« Reply #6 on: November 22, 2016, 12:53:40 AM »
Informative post...

Offline Nizhum

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Re: Parachute Fabric Properties
« Reply #7 on: March 16, 2017, 11:11:16 PM »
Informative and helpful .............

Offline subrata.te

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Re: Parachute Fabric Properties
« Reply #8 on: July 26, 2017, 06:21:55 PM »
A really useful post... there is also a concept of escape chute practiced in present days outside Bangladesh, which can evacuate almost 25 people a minute from any accident in high rise buildings. In our country this type of technical and special Textile products like escape chute are necessary to implement as Bangladesh has been in a critical situation regarding garments accident like fire and others...
- Subrata Majumder
 Lecturer, Dept. of Textile Engineering
 e-mail: subrata.te@diu.edu.bd
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