Global supplier of silicone solutions for the leather and textile industries, Dow Corning Corporation, has developed a new range of products that allows manufacturers to customise the finish of their leather products to meet the exact needs of their customers. The products are the first of a new Sense the Difference” line of finishes developed exclusively for the leather market. There are currently eight products in the range: Dow Corning 5-7031 LF Emulsion, 5-7033 LF Suspension, 5-7194 LF Emulsion, 5-7222 LF Emulsion, 5-7784 LF Emulsion, 5-7787 LF Emulsion, 5-7818 LF Emulsion and 5-7997 LF Emulsion.

When a consumer purchases a car with a leather interior, or a leather sofa, handbag or jacket, their degree of satisfaction with that product is linked to the total leather experience,” explained Liz Mallen, global leather marketing manager for Dow Corning. Leather contributes to the image and status of a product and all the senses need to be considered when developing leather finishes for consumers – touch, appearance, sound and comfort. We developed this new line of products to address those specific needs.”

In addition to a wide range of handles from soft and slippery to dry and waxy, the new products also provide varying levels of matt or gloss appearance and sound reduction. For some applications, such as automotive, other benefits have been introduced such as wet and dry rub resistance.

Because leather plays a critical role in creating the right vehicle interior, Ms Mallen identified the luxury automotive market as one of the industries that could most benefit from the features offered by the Sense the Difference” line. People are spending more time than ever in their vehicles so automotive designers are putting increased focus on interiors to help differentiate their products from the competition,” she said. Natural leather remains the upholstery of choice for many car buyers because it is perceived as a luxury item and a sign of success.”

In addition to automotive applications, the eight new products are also suitable for use in leather finishes for furniture and garments. The eight products are either emulsions or dispersions and are based on a variety of silicone types with varying active level, surfactant type, particle size and pH.