Chinese tanners keen to learn about solutions for leather odour issue
03/09/2018
Dr Volker Rabe, head of technical product management for tanning technology, led the first part of the seminar, addressing the question volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and odour in automotive leather with an audience made up largely of Chinese tanners.
He explained that new Chinese legislation for Vehicle Interior Air Quality (VIAQ) led Lanxess to analyse the odour of automotive leather more fully and to come up with solutions that will help automotive tanners and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) stay the right side of the new regulations.
“The perception of odour can vary from person to person, but it’s clear that odour depends on a mixture of various substances,” Dr Rabe said. “We have identified 70 substances that have an influence on the smell of leather, including sulfide compounds, aldehydes, amines and aromatic compounds.”
He explained: “VOCs and odour are linked but they are not the same. VOCs reflect the measurable substances only, while odour goes beyond that. It’s like a plant. You can see what’s above the ground, but your nose also picks up the smell of the roots, the smell of the earth and so on.”
There has been a drive in recent years to lower VOCs in leather and Dr Rabe said this has led to some aspects of odour becoming more prominent, making this an issue that is likely to become more urgent for tanners and OEMs to resolve.
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