Abstract

Fatliquors are some of the most effective chemicals to impart softness and flexibility to leather, and low temperature softness of leather is very important for the application of leather in a low temperature environment. The main objective of the present work is to compare low temperature softness of leather lubricated with various types of fatliquors. In this work, a softness tester and dynamic mechanical analysis were used to investigate the softness variation of leather which was lubricated with different types of fatliquors, such as polyether silicone, sulphonated rapeseed oil, modified soybean lecithin and so on, at temperatures within the range of -15°C to 25°C. The results indicate that the smallest variation in softness ratio is shown by polyether oil lubricated leather and imply that silicone oil is superior to sulphonated rapeseed oil and modified lecithin for manufacturing a leather with excellent low temperature softness. Therefore there is great value in effectively utilizing silicone oil as a main component in fatliquoring agents to meet the new growing demand for low temperature softness of leather.