Development and Application of Polymers and Composites for Leather and Fabric

Dear Colleagues,

There is a growing interest in the research and development of new water-based finishing systems from the use of innovative polymers and their validation in leather and fabric aiming to diminish the environmental footprint of the finishing process and to adapt their properties to target applications. Despite the fact that aqueous-based finishes are being implemented in the processes, solvents continue to be present in commercial finishing products, very often without indication of the type and amount of organic solvent used. This is because the synthesis medium of these products is made in the solvent phase, especially for polyurethanes. The current trend in the leather sector is the use of aqueous finishes instead of finishes that contain organic solvents. However, the technical specifications that a finished leather must meet are getting stricter. Different approaches to create new and target polymers and composites which are more environmentally friendly for leather and fabric, such as aqueous polymers, self-crosslinking polymers, composites, nanotechnology, etc., are being developed in this field. With this in mind, I would like to invite polymer scientists from all over the world to contribute their novel and innovative works on any of the topics of this Special Issue of Materials, dealing with the synthesis, characterizationm and applications of polymers and composites for leather and fabric. Full papers, communications, and reviews are all welcome.

Prof. Dr. Anna Bacardit Dalmases
Guest Editor

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• Leather
• Fabric
• Finishing processes
• Polymer characterization
• Polymer nanotechnology
• Tailor-made polymers
• Composite coatings
• Biopolymers