Looseness in bovine leather: microstructural characterization

Abstract

While a high degree of collagen fibril alignment is normally associated with strong leather, it has been shown that too much alignment results in loose leather. Understanding the physical basis of looseness is the first step in identifying looseness in hides and learning how to prevent looseness from developing during leather manufacture. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Deer leather: analysis of the microstructure affecting pebble

“…A gap may form between the grain and the corium, and the appearance of looseness when the leather is bent results. 16 However, as noted, this region of low density is not observed in poorly pebbled cervine leather. It is possible that poorly pebbled deer leather is not caused by the corium and grain separating but is instead a different type of defect from looseness, caused by some other phenomena.…”

“…Loose bovine leather displayed a less densely packed structure below the surface of the grain compared to premium tight leather. 16 This is unlike the above-mentioned differences seen between poorly and well-pebbled cervine leather. In loose bovine leather, the effect of this open structure in the grain is to allow the grain to become detached from the corium and to buckle when the leather is bent with the grain side concave.…”

“…Surprisingly, poorly pebbled cervine leather has no structural similarities to the defective bovine leather known as ‘loose leather’. Loose bovine leather displayed a less densely packed structure below the surface of the grain compared to premium tight leather . This is unlike the above‐mentioned differences seen between poorly and well‐pebbled cervine leather.…”

“…It is proposed that the highly layered structure seen in loose bovine leather provides fewer connections between the layers, rendering the layers more readily separable. A gap may form between the grain and the corium, and the appearance of looseness when the leather is bent results . However, as noted, this region of low density is not observed in poorly pebbled cervine leather.…”

A small angle X‐ray scattering study of the structure and development of looseness in bovine hides and leather

“…Relatively recent research found that, in loose leather, the grain layer tends to be separated into sheet‐like structures and also that there are larger gaps between the collagen fibers than in tight leather . A weak layer exists in the lower grain layer or at the grain–corium boundary, allowing the surface grain to partially detach and therefore wrinkle when bent inwards (towards the grain) . ‘Tight leather’ is the term applied to leather that does not have these deficiencies.…”