PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH FINISHING HYDROPHOBIC LEATHER

Water-repellent leathers run the gamut from very sporty leathers receiving little or no finish, to fully finished leathers with conventional appearance. Water repellency or waterproofness is a characteristic usually defined in terms of testing protocols which measure ability to resist water uptake and penetration. Testing procedures vary for different end-uses in different world markets. Successful development of water-repellent or waterproof leathers in most cases requires concerted attention to tannage, treatment, and finish. In this paper we discuss the difficulties of finishing hydrophobic crusts with aqueous systems.