Knit Testing

Ball Burst Strength & Deformation Modeler (ASTM D6797)

Burst force alone says a knit is strong. The distension tells you whether it got there by being tough or just by stretching a long way first.

Test Result Measured
N
mm
Fixture & Fabric Geometry
mm
mm
g/m²
mm

Strain at Burst

— %

Multi-directional extension recovered from the dome geometry

Deformation & Load

Dome Radius of Curvature
— mm
Stretched Arc Length
— mm
Pressure Under the Ball
— kPa
Burst Index
— N per g/m²
Force per mm Thickness
— N/mm

The dome is treated as a spherical cap, which is the standard idealisation; a real knit thins unevenly and the ball contact area grows as it penetrates, so the strain figure is a construction comparison rather than a material property. Stretch fabrics with high elastane will show large distension at modest force — read both numbers together, never one alone.

Ball Burst Strength & Deformation Modeler (ASTM D6797) — free, with the formula and a worked example, at Textile School.