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New fabrics which function as covering material as well as suspension have been developed. These fabrics eliminate the need of underlying foam and suspension springs. They can look like mesh, flat or pile fabrics. The moduli of the fabric have to be controlled to yield the proper suspending and damping characteristics. Effects of environments including UV, ozone and heat exposures were evaluated. Different versions of seats have been built to demonstrate the applications of the new fabric. Advantages of using the fabric are outlined.

Seats and carpets were evaluated for generating static charges on vehicle occupants. Active measures that eliminate or reduce static accumulation, and passive measures that dissipate static charge in a controlled manner were investigated. The active measures include using durable anti-static finishes or conductive filaments in seating fabrics. The passive measures include adopting conductive plastics in a steering wheel, seat belt buckle release button, or door opening handle. The effectiveness of these measures was tested in a low humidity environment.

Seat covers made from textiles, leather and vinyl were evaluated for noise absorption. The textiles included woven velours, pile knits and flat wovens. The noise absorption of the covers and the corresponding seat assemblies was tested by the reverberation room method per ASTM C423. The effect of different foams was also tested. For the leather and vinyl covers, the effect of perforation was evaluated. Test results showed distinctive differences between textiles and leather/vinyl with cloth seats having superior noise absorption. Even among the textiles, there are significant differences. Core foam densities affect the characteristics as well. For pile fabrics (woven velours and pile knits), the size of the pile fiber does not affect the acoustic characteristics of the seat. Also, no significant difference was observed between a bonded seat and a conventional (cut and sew) seat.

The current specified durability testing for automotive seat cover materials focus on fiber loss. Consequently, these tests do not consider the appearance acceptability or “newness retention” of seat covers. Preliminary study indicates that the major causes of perceived wear are soiling and pile crush. Additionally, the study linked the field performance of textile seat covers to fiber, yarn, and fabric characteristics. The results showed the effect of fiber denier, yarn construction, pile density and pile angle on the ability of fabrics to retain their newness and visual appeal.