Properties of artificial leather
PVC leather
Artificial leather is a knitted, fabric or non-woven fabric on which a polymer film coating is applied. Most often, the coating is polyvinyl chloride, which does not allow air to pass through. The main advantages of PVC leather are durability and ease of care.
Polyvinyl chloride itself is hard, so plasticizers (liquid additives) are added to it, which make PVC leather soft. But there is one “but”: over time, the additives evaporate, and the material becomes dry and brittle. Cracks soon appear on it, especially at temperatures below -10°. And the evaporation of plasticizers is to some extent harmful to people. But don’t be too scared: large companies always check leather for compliance with the quality standards required by law for a particular industry. Truly toxic substances will only be released when the PVC skin is heated strongly.
When plasticizers evaporate, PVC artificial leather deteriorates
An important property of PVC leather is that it does not “breathe”. Therefore, if you choose shoes, clothes or furniture made from artificial materials, we advise you to pay attention to other options.
Medical skin
Medical leather is a fabric or non-woven fabric coated with a film coating of polyvinyl chloride (used for PVC leather) and polyurethane (used for eco-leather).
Medical leather is suitable for the production of accessories
Medical leather gets its name from its area of application. First of all, couches and seats are made from it for clinics and beauty salons. It is also used in the production of accessories, since medical leather has superior properties to PVC leather:
- Medical leather is softer and more pleasant to the touch.
- It “breathes” due to the porous structure of the polyurethane film coating. Its breathability is better than that of PVC leather, but worse than that of eco-leather and genuine leather.
- Due to the polyurethane coating, bacteria do not multiply on medical skin, so fungus never forms on it.
- It almost never causes allergic reactions.
- Can be treated with disinfectants, in particular chlorine.
Compared to eco-leather, medical leather also has a couple of advantages due to the addition of polyvinyl chloride:
- it is more resistant to wear and mechanical damage;
- and is more unpretentious in care, it can even be disinfected with chlorine.
At the same time, eco-leather has better breathability, and it is usually softer than medical leather.
It is better to choose clothes and shoes from eco-leather or genuine leather. And medical leather makes good accessories: they are easier to care for, they are hypoallergenic and more wear-resistant.
Faux leather “Family Matters” document organizers are created from durable medical grade leather. Therefore, over time, these folders do not peel off and do not lose their properties. Compared to leather folders, they are more resistant to moisture and sunlight.
Document folder – Family Affairs Eco Peach
₽3900
Rating 5.00 out of 5 based on a survey of 4 users
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Document folder – Family Affairs Eco Gray
₽3900
Rating 5.00 out of 5 based on a survey of 3 users
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Document folder – Family Affairs Eco Blue
₽3900
Rating 5.00 out of 5 based on a survey of 5 users
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Document folder – Family Affairs Eco Black
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Properties of eco leather
Eco-leather is a cotton or polyester fabric coated with a layer of polyurethane. It is thanks to this that eco-leather products “breathe” better than all artificial materials. But the breathability of eco-leather is inferior to natural leather, since any artificial material consists of two layers: fabric and film. And if the porous polyurethane coating allows air to pass through, the fabric base does not allow it to pass as freely as in natural leather.
Also, products made from eco-leather can withstand frosts down to -35° and retain their appearance for a long time. Despite the fact that eco-leather is breathable, it does not allow moisture to pass through.
Unlike other artificial leathers, plasticizers are not used as additives in the production of eco-leather. This means that even with strong heating, substances harmful to health will not evaporate from the surface of the material.
However, eco-leather is quite finicky to care for. To remove dirt, it is better to use only a soap solution or special products from the store.
Thanks to its breathability and frost resistance, eco-leather becomes a worthy alternative to even natural leather in the production of clothing and footwear. But you can look into high-quality accessories, including those made from medical leather: it will be easier to care for and will be more resistant to wear compared to eco-leather. As for classic PVC (polyvinyl chloride) leather, it loses a lot compared to other options. Products made from it can be preferred, perhaps, only because of the low price.
As you can see, the properties of artificial materials can vary greatly depending on the composition. It is useful to understand what characteristics are important to you for the comfortable operation of a particular product. Then you will know which options for artificial materials are best to consider.
What is eco-leather and its use
At all times, humanity has valued real leather. It was she who once became the basis of parchment for the first books, serving for the benefit of human development. Due to its strength and elasticity, leather was used in the manufacture of armor and shoes.
Natural material has always been very expensive. And recently, the use of real leather is considered inhumane. That's why its artificial substitute was invented - ecological leather. The material turned out to be reliable and has a decent appearance.
Photo: Vinyl4you: UGC
What does eco-leather mean, what does it consist of? Eco-leather is a two-layer special material, the basis of which is woven fabric. Eco-leather is produced by applying a special polymer layer consisting of organic and inorganic molecules. This substance is painted a certain color.
Such raw materials were first invented in the middle of the last century in America. Later, the Japanese took up the initiative, starting to use wear-resistant, durable and non-toxic polyurethane to create eco-materials.
Photo: oboidekor.ru: UGC
Modern ecological leather has many of the following advantages:
- due to the porous structure it allows air to pass through;
- safe for the environment;
- has no smell;
- the texture is absolutely similar to its natural counterpart;
- abrasion resistant, durable;
- keeps its shape.
Its production does not require large financial costs. Nowadays eco-leather is made in any color, thickness and shape. And you can distinguish it from the real one only by the reverse side: the woven base is clearly visible.
Photo: Drive2: UGC
Eco-leather is used to make upholstery for upholstered furniture, bags and suitcases, gloves, wallets, car covers, accessories, clothing and shoes. What is eco-leather for shoes? This is a universal material that is resistant to temperature changes. Caring for shoes made from such raw materials is not at all difficult - the product practically does not absorb water and dirt.
But such high-tech raw materials have few disadvantages: eco-leather is afraid of mechanical damage, quickly heats up in direct sunlight and is completely irreparable. The material requires careful handling - it is unacceptable to use abrasive brushes and products containing chlorine for care.
How to distinguish artificial leather from eco-leather?
It is quite difficult to distinguish between artificial materials. Therefore, first of all, just check with the seller what the product is made of. Also pay attention to the product label. If you come across the designations “ecoleather”, “ecopelle” or the composition indicates 100% PU ( polyurethane ) - this is eco-leather . The abbreviation PVC ( polyvinyl chloride ) means that this is PVC leather . There may also be a mixed version, when the composition contains both PVC and PU. Depending on a number of nuances, these can be different types of artificial leather, including medical ones.
Key differences between artificial leather, medical leather and eco-leather:
- eco leather is soft and elastic; medical - a little denser; PVC leather is the hardest and most inflexible;
- eco-leather is warmer than medical leather, which, in turn, is warmer than PVC leather;
- eco-leather allows air to pass through; the medical one misses it a little worse; PVC leather – not at all;
- PVC leather and medical leather are more resistant to mechanical damage compared to eco-leather;
- medical leather can be disinfected by any means, it is resistant to chemicals;
- eco-leather is the most frost-resistant;
- Eco-leather has no potentially harmful fumes.
Medical leather is especially difficult to distinguish from PVC leather and eco-leather, since it is a kind of intermediate option. Therefore, we will tell you how to distinguish between the two extreme poles: PVC leather and eco-leather.
The best eco-leather brands
When thinking about how long eco-leather will last as seat upholstery and car interior, pay attention to proven brands of this material:
- Hortica. It has a “natural face” and even surpasses natural material in properties. Pleasant to the touch, durable, light-resistant, with high air exchange. Resistant to abrasion, mechanical stress, including scratches, snags, and deformations. It can be smooth or perforated.
- MARS. Wear-resistant, tear-resistant. It is characterized by high vapor and air permeability, light and frost resistance. The basis of the canvas is microfiber. The coating can be structured, smooth or perforated.
- Boston. Comfortable, strong, soft, moisture- and light-resistant. Has classic embossing of genuine leather. Very elastic and tactilely pleasant.
- Dollaro. Characterized by increased resistance to deformation, tearing, and abrasion. Serves for at least 5 years on car seats.
Eco-leather of these brands will last from 4 to 10 years or more. Any type of material is suitable for upholstery of interiors and seats: self-adhesive, stretch, quilted eco-leather, smooth or perforated nappa. The optimal base is microfiber, since it is the most wear-resistant. The more competently a material is cared for, the longer it will retain its appearance and characteristics, even with intensive use.
How to distinguish PVC leather from eco-leather?
In order to use the first method, it is better to first take PVC leather (polyvinyl chloride) and eco-leather at the same time. When you put your hand on them, you will notice a difference in the feeling: eco-leather will be warmer and softer. Leatherette will look more like cold plastic. You will feel this difference and in the future you will be able to determine the material, remembering this discrepancy in sensations.
The second method is more suitable for determining the material on leather samples. These can be requested from the manufacturer. For example, at the buyer’s request, we can include a leather sample with the purchased accessory for your experiments.
You need to add a couple of drops of vegetable oil to the surface of the material being tested. After a day, you will find an oily stain on the PVC artificial leather. Also, the material in this place will become rougher due to evaporation of plasticizers. A drop of oil will not have a harmful effect on eco-leather and natural leather, the stain will disappear, and the properties of the materials will not change.
In the article we showed you that technology now makes it possible to create artificial leather of truly high quality. But they noted that not all artificial analogues have the same properties, so it is important to distinguish them from each other.
We are sure that now you have a better understanding of the variety of artificial materials and understand what to look for when purchasing!
Pros and cons of genuine leather
Genuine leather is animal skins that have gone through a long series of different processes, such as soaking, liming, tanning and dyeing.
The manufacturing process is very harmful both to the environment and to the employees working in production. Clothing, accessories and furniture made from genuine leather are considered symbols of prestige, and they cost a decent amount.
However, the undoubted advantage of this material is its strength and durability. Of course, leather products require proper care, which includes cleaning them from dirt and treating them with impregnations.
