Automotive textiles are non-apparel textiles used in vehicles like cars, buses, and aircraft. They include fibers, yarns, and fabrics. An average family car contains 12-14 kg of textiles. Automotive textiles require properties like abrasion resistance, strength, stretch, stability, and comfort. They are used in seats, door panels, headliners, carpets, airbags, seatbelts, tires, and more. Common materials are polyester, nylon, wool, and leather. Future developments include lighter weight fabrics for reduced environmental impact and cost.

1. Automotive Textile
INSTITUTE OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY (UDCT) MUMBAI
KANHAYA LAL KUMAWAT
M.TECH. (RESEARCH STUDENT)

2. INTRODUCTION
 Automotive textiles are non-apparel textiles which are widely used in
transportation like cars, trains, buses, aircrafts and marine vehicles.
 The term automobile textile means all type of textile components e.g.
fibers, filaments, yarns and the fabric used in automobiles.
 Automotive textile is one of the most important market in technical
textile sector. It is estimated that an average family car contains about
12-14 Kg of textiles.

3. APPLICATIONS OF AUTOMOTIVE
TEXTILES

4. AUTOMOTIVE TEXTILES- STANDARD
PROPERTIES REQUIRED
 Abrasion resistance
 Tear and tensile strength
 Stretch
 Seam strength
 Stretch and recovery
 Dimensional stability
 Drape
 Comfort – breathability
 Snagging
 Flammability
 Tensile strength/ breaking & elongation
 Color fastness and crocking
 Light fastness and UV degradation
 Antistatic
 Soiling and clean ability

5. Component Material Used
Seats Polyester fabric (woven/knitted), Wool, Wool/Polyester blends
(woven), Leather
Door Panels Polyester fabric, PVC, PVC/ABS foil, TPO foil, Polyurethane foil,
Leather
Headliner Polyester non-woven, Knitted nylon/Polyester, PVC foil
Parcel Shelf Non-woven polyester, Non-woven Polypropylene
Sun visor Polyester fabric, PVC foil
Carpet Nylon fibre, Polypropylene fibre
Boot liner Polyester non-woven, Polypropylene non-woven
Bonnet liner Polyester non-woven, Polypropylene non-woven
Airbag Nylon 66, 6, 46 woven
Seat belt Polyester woven
Tyre PET, aramid fibers, nylon, rayon fibers
MATERIAL USED IN CAR
INTERIORS

6. UPHOLSTERY APPLICATIONS IN
AUTOMOTIVES
 Auto floor mats
 Automotive carpeting
 Automotive seating
 Seat covers
 Seat belts
 Steering wheel covers
 Automotive headliners
 Auto trim/supported PVC
 Auto trim/ leather
 Car covers.

7. TYRES
 Earlier tyres used woven fabric which was later replaced by a unidirectional
arrangement of cords.
 The cords are formed by twisting yarns together to build up a strong cord in
two or three separate operations. Twist direction is usually in the same
direction for the first two operations and in reverse direction for the final
process.
 1. Inner liner
 2. Casing Ply(Nylon, PET, HT RAYON)
 3. Lower Bead Area
 4. Bead Wires
 5. Supple Rubber Sidewalls
 6. Bracing Plies(fine steel)
 7. Safety Ply(nylon) 8. Tread layer

8. TYRE CORD FABRICS
 The textile material used in a tire is mainly for reinforcement.
 Textile materials such as viscose, glass and steel cords provide dimensional
stability as well as reinforcement.
 Dimensional stability is an essential requirement for tires.
 Strength is provided to tires mainly by the web of fibres that lies with in the
body of the tire called “Carcass”.
The textile components in tyres are:
 CARCASS (The tread and sidewalls of tyres)
 CHAFER FABRIC (area of the tyre where it makes contact with wheel rim.

9. TEXTILES USED FOR REDUCTION
IN WEIGHT OF BODY PARTS
 Textile for Weight Reduction Composites are used mainly for weight reduction, cost
reduction, shorter lead-time and improved performance.
 Polymer composites are lighter, more flexible and can offer better dent resistance.
e.g. the entire body of Pudgeot-205 and Turbo-16 is made from a composite of Kevlar
aramid fiber (80%) and carbon fiber (20%).
 Other examples like plastic bumpers, front and rear ends, radiator, tanks, fenders,
wheel covers and door handles.
 The PP is mainly used in automotive for weight reduction.

10. Hoses
 A variety of different fabric manufacturing techniques
are used; knitting, circular weaving.
 Cotton was first used but this has been replaced with
synthetic fibres, which provide higher strength, more
durable flex and abrasion resistance and better rot
resistance.
 Automotive hose products include fuel, oil, radiator
heaters, hydraulic brakes, power steering, automatic
transmission and air conditioning pipes.
Belts
 Again cotton was first used but was replaced as soon
as synthetic fibre-rubber bonding difficulties were
overcome.
 High tensile strength, excellent shock resistance and
low extensibility are the requirement for a long belt life.
 Textile-toothed belts have replaced chain drives in cars
because they are quieter, weigh less, need no
lubrication and allow a more compact design.
10

11. AIRBAG FABRIC
 An airbag is an automatic safety control system built into the steering wheels and
various other strategic locations of the vehicles.
 Airbag provides protection against head-on collision. It is a high precision application,
which on sensing collision expands within 0.06 seconds.
 The requirements for an air bag materials are high strength, heat stability, resistance
to abrasion, compatibility with coatings and good impact absorption.

12. WORKING OF AIRBAG
Working of airbags based on hot nitrogen gas, comprising of 78% air.
The nitrogen gas passes in inflated bag, which cover the steering
column. All this occurs within 0.06 seconds and inflated bag obtained
as cushion for occupants.

13. FUTURE DEVELOPMENT AND
OUTLOOK
 The two main factors likely to continue to influence research and development
in the automobile industry for the foreseeable future are, the environment and
the control of cost.
 The textile industry contributes to the environment by introducing lighter weight
fabrics.
 New high-performance materials being developed by fibre and chemical
companies, such as the ultra-high-strength polyethylene fibre and the
thermoplastic polyolefin foils.

14. FUTURE DEVELOPMENT AND
OUTLOOK
 The use of cellulosic fibres in polyester blends in optimized
constructions with engineered yarns might lead to abrasion
properties approaching automotive standard. If this becomes
possible, the benefits could include improved thermal comfort as
well as softer handles.
 In addition to up-to-date, attractive, novel are the following desirable
properties: higher standards of clean ability, ‘lint’ resistance, anti-
microbial finishes, better thermal comfort, anti-static properties,
softer ‘touch’ fabrics, easily replaced seat covers and fewer odours.

15. MARKET SIZE OF AUTOMOTIVE
TEXTILES
S.N.
Automotive textile
product
Market potential
(Rs. Mn.)
2005 2010
1 Seat belts 2,266 4,197
2 Air bags 283 524
3 Nylon tyre cord (fabric) 10,181 18,857
4
Seat covers, Car body covers,
Floor matting & Carpets
1,103 2,043
5 Helmets 523 968
6 Headlines 611 1,131

16. CONCLUSION
 Technical textile is an emerging area of development for
functional application of textiles.
 The high value addition and ever-growing international
demand is a potential opportunity for the entrepreneurs
especially for the developing countries alike India.
 Textile materials are used in automobiles for interior trim
and for ensuring comfort as well as for reinforcement and
filters. Textiles also offer weight reduction which in turn
results in fuel economy.

17. 17
Thank you!