Nowadays with regard to industrial requirements, application of composite materials is increasing. Textile composites for their numerous applications are of great interests in this regard. In Textile composites a textile preform is the reinforcement phase. Advantages of preform as reinforcement phase are integrity and flexibility to deform into the work-piece geometry. Weft knitted preforms are among the textile composites reinforcement. Weft knitted preforms due to their fiber knitted structure has week in-plane mechanical properties. To reinforce these properties weft and warp reinforcing yarns have been added in preform structure. With devising weft and warp reinforcing yarns in preform simultaneously, biaxial weft knitted preform has been formed. In this study mechanical properties such as young's modulus and composite strength of single jersey biaxial weft knitted reinforcement have been studied. In first step an appropriate geometrical model for single jersey biaxial weft knitted preform has been presented and implemented in ABAQUS software using python scripting. Then a unite cell of the composite was modeled and using finite element solution, composite young's modulus has been calculated in three main directions. Also using various damage criteria including: maximum tension, Tsai-Hill and Tsai-Wu, final strength and critical strain of composite has been predicted. In the next step, single jersey biaxial weft knitted composite using vacuum infusion process has been manufactured and after cured. Then using tensile test, mechanical properties has been measured. Finally, experimental data have been used to validate finite element solutions. Calculated mechanical properties from finite element in warp direction has good agreement and in weft direction has a fairly good agreement with experimental data. Therefore it can be concluded that by using finite element solution, single jersey biaxial weft knitted composite behavior can well be predicted before manufacturing. Keywords Textile composites, Single jersey biaxial weft knitted composite, Finite element analysis, Experimental tests, Stiffness, Strength, Vacuum infusion process
