Enhancing the performance of cut-resistant gloves with glass fiber/UV PUA resin composite threads: A study on mechanical properties and durability

Due to the brittleness of glass fibers, cut-resistant fabrics knitted from glass fibers tend to develop broken fiber ends on the surface during use. This can cause itching, redness, or even allergic reactions on the wearer’s skin, severely affecting wearing comfort. Glass fiber bundles (GF) and glass/steel fiber bundles (GS) were impregnated with ultraviolet-cured polyurethane acrylate (UV PUA) resins at varying hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) concentrations, resulting in glass fiber/UV PUA composite threads (GUCT) and glass/stainless steel fiber bundles/UV PUA composite (GSCT). The impact of different concentrations of HEMA on the composite threads was examined in the study. Its main objectives were to evaluate the mechanical properties of the PUA resin, the tensile strength of the composite threads, and the washability, wear resistance, and cut resistance of the knitted composite fabrics. The research results show that the infiltration of PUA resin improved the tensile strength of GF and GS (increased by 64.35% and 64.84%, respectively), thus reducing the likelihood of glass fibers breaking due to excessive tensile stress. The cutting load of GF fabric increased by 24.51%, whereas GS fabric decreased by 18.25%. In addition, the wear resistance of both composite thread fabrics decreased due to changes in fiber bundle thickness caused by PUA resin impregnation, which affected the outer yarn density. The washability of the fabric indicates that this process significantly reduced the number of broken ends in glass fibers, improving the comfort of GF and GS fabrics.