It is no doubt that synthetic leather via natural is animal friendly fabric. It consists of split leather combined with a layer of polyurethane PU which is embossed onto the surface. It also referred to faux leather which has some similarities to real leather. Real leather is durable, of superior quality and will mostly last a very long time. Faux leather on the other hand is manmade and looks and feels a lot like real leather. Whereas it is less durable than real leather, it is considerably cheaper and is used to produce great looking and affordable products.
Although properties such as the aesthetical behavior of this faux leather and those of real leather are similar, a relatively deep gap exists between them in the terms of several other properties, especially water vapor permeability. The main reason for the difference between the hygienic property of synthetic leather and real leather is that more hydrophilic groups exists in the collagen fibers of real leather than those in synthetic leather.
Several exploratory studies regarding the modification of synthetic leather have been carried out to solve this problem. By integrating numerous published reports, it was found that increasing the internal active groups of synthetic leather is the most effective modification method. This method can be divided into two directions according to the two components of synthetic leather. In other words, modified polyamide fiber and modified polyurethane.
1、Comparison between synthetic leather via natural and real leather
(1)There is a difference between real leather and synthetic leather via natural. The main differences between real and faux leather are the quality and durability. Spotting the difference between faux and real protected leather can be difficult because they can look very similar. There are several techniques that are used to identify faux leather. In the past, faux leather is considered as fake substitute with very low value. Only real leather can be seen as high-end luxury products. High-end fashion brands would never use the synthetic one.
(2)However, due to the advance development of the synthetic leather in the past few years, the quality and functions of faux leather have been greatly improved. It is increasingly popular in the apparel industry due to its highly leather-like appearance and texture.
(3)It is now made to be a wide range of apparel product and people are more willing to wear them. In the future, adding value to this leather will be a significant study in the apparel industry. In order to evaluate the possibility of replacing real leather by synthetic leather via natural, basic knowledge of synthetic leather via natural should be gained before going any further.
(4) Comparing the properties of both types of leather is useful to analyze the application and difference between real leather and synthetic leather via natural. Another main issue needed to be considered is the environmental as well as animal right aspects. Nowadays environmental impact is one of the biggest concerns in many industries, including the apparel industry. More and more designers tend to use the eco-friendly materials to show their environmental awareness.Especially by thinking deeper about where real leather comes from and how it is made, it would be no more natural. Therefore faux leather may be a better alternative.
2、Properties of synthetic leather via natural
· Synthetic leather via natural based products really looks great, last long and need little care. While real leather needs regular care and is quite expensive.
· Their products do not wear easily even though they do not last as long as real leather.
· They will however need regular care such as cleaning to remove dirt and dust and other contaminants.
· They also tend to stretch more than real leather.
· When their products get damaged, they can easily be repaired and more easily be replaced.While real leather is great costly and needs regular maintenance.
· Their products are more affordable, durable,and reliable and look greater than other synthetic products.
3、Production of synthetic leather via natural
Synthetic leather via natural is produced by coating polyurethane paste to textile materials.This faux leather is unthinkable without the textile substrate. In most cases it is knitted fabrics which transfer their properties to the final properties of it.
Since they are materials mostly used as outerwear fabrics in apparel, their physiological properties are essential. Air, water and water vapor permeability, their strength and durability depend on the properties of individual properties of coated materials and final products. Since structured multilayered materials consist of different materials and various binders, besides material comfort it is important to pay great attention to their compatibility in different conditions.
The target product to meet market requirements can be produced by appropriate selection of recipes for polymer coating, and by determination of construction parameters of the textile fabric as well as raw materials and production conditions.
The selection of polymers is very important to obtain desirable properties of the finished product,and the coating composition is determined according to the application of the finished product. The coating consists of the basic polymer and additives. In the selection of the basic polymer, the properties are as follows: thermo plasticity, mechanical properties of polymers,possibility of film formation, stiffness, good adhesion, abrasion resistance, heat, water and air conductivity, resistance to solvents and hydrolysis,resistance to UV radiation, melting point etc.
The basic polymer is mostly polyurethane that may be strong and rigid, soft and elastic.Polyurethanes belong to the group of very durable plastic materials. The main property of polyurethane is its wide application. It can be coated to leather, in solution or dispersion, as granules or powder. Softness or hardness can be obtained by varying polymer structures.
Fig.1.
Shows schematic of polyurethane coating for production of synthetic leather via natural.
Polyurethane has good wash proof ness and cleaning resistance, good adhesion to the fabric,good durability at low temperatures, it is possible to use it without softeners, it has good viscosity and abrasion resistance, at the same time it has a pleasant and soft touch, a low specific mass,resistance to oils and fats.
4、Uses of synthetic leather via natural in apparel
In recent years, synthetic leather via natural is increasingly popular. It has been used by many fashion designers to create apparel products such as jackets, jeans, skirts, tops and their complementary like handbags and shoes.
