Abstract

The aim of this work was to analyse physico-mechanical and physico-chemical properties of chrome leather, chrome-free and no-pickle chrome tanned leather. Leather was tested for tensile and tear strength. In addition, dome plasticity of grain, softness, absorption and permeability of water and water vapour were determined.

The properties of no-pickle leathers tanned with chrome and mineral-free tanned were found to exhibit no significant differences from those tanned using traditional methods, even showing a greater tensile strength. Softness was the sole parameter where a poorer performance was observed. It was preliminarily concluded, therefore, that introduction of more environment-friendly technologies requires a more thorough leather processing at the wet finishing stage in order to arrive at a desired leather quality comparable to that of the chrome tanned leather.