SEWABILITY PROPERTIES OF GARMENT LEATHERS TANNED WITH VARIOUS TANNING MATERIALS

Abstract

Chromium tannage is the most used technology in processing of garment leathers. Due to environmental requirements and demands on natural products there is an increasing interest on alternatives to chromium tannage especially on vegetable tanned leathers. Leather properties vary in a very wide range depending on the animal type it is obtained from and the process type and chemicals used in the manufacturing. In this study, the effect of various tanning materials to the sewability of garment leathers was investigated. For this purpose, vegetable, chromium and chromium-vegetable combination tanned garment leathers from the same animal origin were supplied from a garment leather manufacturing factory. Needle penetration force and the sewability values of these leathers were determined by using L&M Sewability Tester. It was found that material properties and sewing properties showed differences regarding to the tanning material used even in same type of raw material. Chromium tanned leathers had sewability values of 13.4% horizontal and 14.2% vertical which are considered good to fair. Vegetable tanned leathers and chromium-vegetable tanned leathers had sewability values of 38.2% horizontal, 49.2% vertical and 98% horizontal, 98.5% vertical respectively which are considered poor. The results of the study conclude that, there is a big difference in material properties when the tanning technology and material is changed which also affects the sewing properties.

Keywords

• Leather
• Sewability
• Garment
• Tanning materials