Abstract

The natural leather used for car interior materials is a traditional and high-quality material that can be applied to diverse purposes such as the steering wheel, knob, seat and internal trim. However, continuous friction and sweat from the driver causes the hydrolysis of high-molecular resins and plasticisation, which facilitates the abrasion of coated layers. During the summer season, in particular, the painted surfaces weakened under the high-temperature conditions of the car interior often lead to slipperiness and increased lustre owing to the migration of the fatliquoring agent. Thus, this study investigated the bonding between the leather and different types of fatliquoring agents, and their influence on oil migration by facilitating ageing (hydrolysis). The results revealed that the silicon- and lecithin-based fatliquoring agents had a significant influence on oil migration owing to the low bonding to the leather under the ageing condition.