Stahl finishing product makes leather 30% lighter
05/09/2012
Stahl’s new product, Stahlite AL1, uses polymers to replace fatliquors in the finishing process resulting in lighter leathers without, the chemicals manufacturer has said, any alteration in substance or in fibre structure. Tests have shown an improvement in tear-strength. Early tests with hides from other origins have resulted in lower weight reductions, around 15%, but Stahl says it is confident that tanners using European hides will be able able to achieve 30%.
Mike Tomkin, the company’s director of sustainability, has told leatherbiz that Stahlite AL1 is the first in what will become a range of products covering the whole tanning process. He said there was already interest from other sectors in lighter leathers. He said: “To show you how important weight is for automotive companies, for example, we recently had a discussion with the country manager of one premium European car brand and asked him how much weight matters. He told us that his company is changing the screws it uses in its cars to titanium for precisely this reason.” Sports brands, who have admitted that weight is part of their reason for using less leather in their shoes, have also expressed an interest.
He said Stahl was taking a cautious approach to introducing the new product to the market because minor adjustments to the normal finishing process, for example at the drying and toggling stages, are necessary and only a small number of technicians have been trained to use the product so far. “But we are very excited about this,” he concluded.
Share this story:
