Development of Advanced Materials and Technologies for Leather and By-Products Processing

Dear Colleagues,

Leather science and engineering is probably the oldest and most durable activity of humankind which has lately recorded impressive progresses in advanced materials, smart technologies, low ecological impact technologies and materials, natural and bio-based materials application, biotechnologies versus chemical technologies, reclaiming of byproducts, life cycle assessment, low carbon footprint technologies, and products with the single purpose of human progress and comfort.

Its natural properties along with the uniqueness of its character due to the smartest of its constituent proteins, collagen, has made this complex material the most difficult to reproduce on the basis of its water vapor permeability and breathability, physiological thermal transfer, mechanical resistance, flexibility, and biodegradability.

Modern leather requires complex knowledge as long as very diverse chemical and natural materials are used for its processing, representing about 50% of hide weight, from the most diverse classes of substances: syntans, vegetable tannins, metal complex salts, fat liquors, dyestuffs and pigments, polymers, and organic and inorganic salts.

Leather processing needs knowledge of physics, chemistry, and biology and, even now, we are still far from a deep understanding of the physical–chemical behavior of this complex matrix of fibrous collagen and interactions of these materials. Modern investigation techniques, such as X-ray, neutron scattering, and proteomics, were used to define a pattern of collagen interaction with tanning materials in its transit from an easily biodegradable material to a stable and durable product. The identification of alternative cross-linking materials for trivalent chromium basic salts represents probably the most important challenge that scientists are facing. The multifunctional properties of leather products are part of modern life, comfort, and life protection demands. Antimicrobial requirements for common and public use, gadget-like functions, and smart responsive surfaces (gas sensor, thermochromic effect, etc.) require innovation to address the many demands. Other areas of research are related to the need for zero-discharge processing, zero hazardous substances, total dissolved substances reduction, sodium chloride, sodium sulfide, ammonium sulphate replacement, free formaldehyde resins, anti-soiling finishing, leather durability and quality improvement, biodegradability assessment and biobased carbon determination as tools for natural leather identification and labeling in a world of nonsustainable materials.

Scientific contributions to progress in leather processing are welcome in the abovementioned and other areas of research as well as for reclaiming leather industry byproducts:

• Fundamental knowledge of hide and skin collagen;
• Ecological processing of hides and skins;
• Advanced materials and bioproducts for leather processing;
• Reclaiming of leather industry byproducts in a circular economy;
• Analytical tools for leather knowledge advances;
• Biotechnologies and biomaterials related to leather processing.

Dr. Carmen Gaidau
Prof. Dr. Anna Bacardit Dalmases
Guest Editors

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