What does pu stand for. What is eco leather or PU leather? Wide range of applications

In chapter Other to the question what the PU material given by the author means Satenik Santrosyan the best answer is When buying leather goods, many come across the term PU Leather.
PU Leather is a chemistry - artificial "leather" based on polyurethane. That is, it is a synthetic material very similar in structure to natural leather, not inferior in strength. And it also allows you to “breathe” like natural leather.
As an additional plus is the coloring…. PU leather goods can be given any color, which cannot be done with natural leather.
As a minus - after all, it is a polymer ... artificial and is "afraid" of a sufficiently high temperature (a little information on the temperature: when applying, for example, drawings, labels and other tinsel on PU Leather products, they recommend 130-160 ℃. So the minus is not such and significant, since it can withstand such temperatures).
Dermantin and vinyl leather - this can be considered the last century.
So do not be afraid and take it boldly - the quality of pu leather is no worse than natural leather.
Source: http://v4w.in/chto-takoe-pu-leather-rasskazyvayu/

It is not uncommon to find in the description of bags, jackets and other leather and leatherette products that the leather in this product is PU. The first thing that occurs to a potential buyer is that this bag is made of cheap leatherette, leatherette. But for some reason, even eminent manufacturers do not shun the use of PU leather in their products, and it is not uncommon to advertise this fact as a virtue. And sellers on Aliexpress sometimes generally consider PU leather to be absolutely natural.

Sellers themselves get confused. See lot.

There is also a confusion of concepts, how they differ:

• PU (PU) leather
• PVC (PVC) leather
• Eco leather
• Pressskin
• Cheap "Soviet" leatherette

Our article on the site will answer these questions. So let's get started.

How artificial leather is made

Natural leather, in our usual sense, is the whole skin of an animal, cleansed and processed in a certain way. In the manufacture of products, skin areas from specific animal organs can be used, and the product itself can be assembled from pieces of skin. But these pieces will be quite large, cut from the whole skin of the animal.

Artificial leather can be very different. But it can be conditionally divided into two groups:

• completely artificial leather, which is entirely made of polymer materials, possibly using a woven base,
• artificial leather using tanning waste, when waste from processing natural leather (trimmings, leather dust) is crushed, pressed and glued into a single piece

Polymer materials such as polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, nitrocellulose can be used in the manufacture of any leather. Both with natural leather content and without. Moreover, polyurethane can be used as a coating for natural, but not very high quality leather.

Fully artificial leather

Artificial leather without the use of tanning waste is produced entirely by a chemical method.

• we mix the necessary mixtures (plasticizers, stabilizers, dyes, etc.) until a uniform texture of the required density is obtained,
• applied to the base to obtain a texture imitating the skin,
• in the case of leatherette, the resulting mixture is applied to a cotton base,
• fix in the oven
• apply external coating
• in the case of the manufacture of modern high-quality artificial leather, there can be several layers, including a layer of foamed polymer to get the necessary sensations from the leatherette canvas,

The quality of this completely artificial leather depends on the materials used. That is, just on what polymer is used PVC, PU or nitrocellulose. And also from the base material, the number of layers and the coating.

In the manufacture of artificial leather, there are 2-3 obligatory layers (base, filling, coating) and various materials can be used as them. Woven base, PVC filler, PU coating (for example). From the combination of these materials, the properties of artificial leather will change dramatically. And this is very important.

Artificial leather from tannery waste

Also sometimes this kind of skin can be called Pressskin. Leather waste is crushed and placed with a chemical mass for bonding, after which such leather can be applied to a polymer or woven base and coated with a polymer for wear resistance.

In some cases, the manufacturer may call this material genuine leather. However, it is not.

Pressed leather is no better than completely faux leather and of course it is absolutely not real leather. In its manufacture, a lot of chemical mixtures are used, it is not environmentally friendly and allergenic. Such leather does not breathe well, and without a high-quality base and coating it quickly deteriorates.

When comparing pressed leather and modern PU leather, it is better to prefer PU leather.

What is PU leather (PU leather)

PU (PU, PUR) is a polymer Polyurethane (Polyurethane) artificial material obtained as a result of several chemical processes. Due to its properties, polyurethane is widely used in industry. It is used for making seals, adhesives, sealants, machine parts and much, much more. Depending on the manufacturing method (formulas, ingredients), polyurethane has different mechanical and temperature characteristics. But in general, it is very resistant to wear and temperature extremes. In general, polyurethane does not lose its specified properties in the temperature range from -60 to +80 degrees Celsius.

A distinctive feature of polyurethane is the ability to create a porous material that can breathe and remove moisture. This is especially critical when making clothing and footwear from PU materials. However, you need to understand that just the presence of the phrase "PU leather" does not mean that this leather breathes.

By PU leather, a manufacturer can understand a whole range of materials. It can be either a completely artificial leather on a polymer or woven basis, or pressed leather with a PU coating (see above in the article). If, for example, PU leather is applied to a PVC base or an intermediate layer is made of PVC, and PU was used only to cover the outer layer, then such leather will not breathe. And you will not find the main marketing advantage of "breathable" artificial leather in this product.

The same can be said for PU coated leather from tanneries.

On the other hand, a high-quality fully imitation PU leather has a number of positive characteristics:

• extremely wear-resistant,
• breathes,
• allows water to pass through (wicks away sweat),
• tactilely similar to natural leather,
• does not burst in the cold,
• without chemical odors,
• not allergenic,

Based on the above, we can make the following conclusion. PU artificial leather is good. This is a quality material that may well be preferred to natural leather. However, PU leather is very different. And a PU leather manufacturer might mean a material that you just didn't expect. It is often very difficult to find out the quality of PU leather in a product before purchase.

What is Eco leather

Eco-leather is a colloquial marketing name for PU leather. After all, it is necessary to explain to the consumer that PU leather is not disgusting leatherette, in which everything sweats and stinks of chemistry, but a new modern material, no worse than natural leather.

How PU leather differs from PVC (PVC) leather

PVC (PVC, PolyVinyl Chloride) is a common plastic in its plastic form. Roughly, in general, PVC-based leatherette is a flexible plastic fixed on a woven or non-woven base. This is the classic leatherette on which the priest sweats. Tough, rough, but cheap and durable.

PVC leather is still widely used in the manufacture of various products. Often, a layer of PU leather is applied to the outer layer of PVC leather, resulting in a tactile sensation similar to that of PU leather, but cheaper.

What is leatherette

This is not a popular name, not slang, but the real name of the material. In fact, this is a fabric with a layer of nitrocellulose applied to it. Now this material is practically not used due to its extremely low wear resistance. Everyone who lived in the USSR remembers shabby leatherette tables and chairs. It is because of this tendency to abrasion that they abandoned the use of leatherette.

How to distinguish artificial leather from natural

High-quality PU leather is almost indistinguishable from natural leather without damaging the product. It will not smell like chemistry, and if desired, it can be supplied with a leather scent. When you touch PU, the skin also becomes warm.

And in the case of low-quality leatherette, you can use standard methods:

• touch. Press a warm hand tightly to the material, genuine leather heats up quickly, but does not fog up (moisture permeates).
• drip water, the drop will be absorbed on natural leather, and the skin will darken (it will also be with PU leather)
• cut, if you can find a cut look for a woven base - a clear sign of artificial leather. You can also look for simple bundles.
• smell, everything is clear without words. Genuine leather will not smell of chemistry, but natural artificial leather will easily,

There are other ways to determine the naturalness of the skin. Write your favorite method in the comments.

Finally

One of them is made just of PU leather.

PU leather is an excellent material. There is no need to be intimidated by him and look for only natural leather, especially when it comes to a consumer goods. Often, a bag made of PU leather will wear better and delight its owner longer than the same one made from natural.

Thanks to high technologies, it became possible to use more advanced high-quality types of artificial leather in the production of various products, which are in no way inferior, but even in some cases surpass in properties natural leather.

Depending on the use of polymer composite materials, which are applied to a woven or non-woven base, artificial leather is divided into the following types: microfiber MF, polyurethane PU, pvc on a fabric base (PVC), eco-leather, rubber, polyacetate (PA). Let's consider them in more detail.

Microfiber- the finest fibers of polyamide or polyester, due to which such a base is soft, lightweight, strong and elastic. This material is resistant to light (it retains its original color when worn), physical (abrasion) and chemical factors.

Leather made on the basis of MF, in terms of external indicators, practically does not differ from natural, while you can create all kinds of textures and color shades. Also, the advantages include good moisture-repellent properties, environmental friendliness (no harmful fumes), absence of foreign odors, and breathable skin effect.

PU polyurethane

PU leather is considered the best material of the new generation, which consists of three layers.

First- based on cotton fabric; second- covered with pre-treated natural leather (with defects); third- high quality polyurethane layer.

Thanks to the last coating layer, the product can have a wide range of colors, patterns and prints. It is characterized by softness, hygiene, frost resistance, high tensile and tear strength.

The material turns out to be porous, due to this, the material has good moisture-repellent and air-permeable properties. Also, this material is safe for health and does not evaporate foreign odors.

Fabric-backed PVC (PVC)

The type of leather PVC is considered the most common, it is made of polyvinyl chloride with the addition of a special plasticizer and additional components that are applied to the base.

To create the base, knitwear and non-woven materials made from natural or artificial fibers are used, on which the characteristics of the product (extensibility, strength) will directly depend.

To achieve greater elasticity, various synthetic additives are added to the material. PVC leather is much heavier than PU leather and less abrasion resistant. The main advantages- ease of care, durability, UV and mold resistance.

It is close in basic physical properties and positive qualities to PU leather, the main difference is the absence of a second layer. Synthetic fiber and cotton fabric are used as a base.

This material is in demand among buyers and manufacturers due to the presence of polyurethane in the composition, the excellent properties of which were described above. Eco-leather does not cause allergic reactions due to the absence of PVC in its composition.

Rubber

The first products made of artificial materials that imitate leather are shoes made of rubber impregnated with a rubber solution. Nowadays rubber is used for the manufacture of such shoe parts as heels of the soles.

Reference! Initially, rubber leather began to be produced a long time ago in Europe (at the end of the 19th century). In our country, the industrial production of rubber was established in the 1930s.

Important! Plastics (except for PU polyurethane and MF microfiber) must not be washed or dry cleaned.

Wide range of applications

For each area of ​​application, depending on the characteristics of the material, the possibility of technological processing, a certain type of artificial leather is used.

Materials made from MF are useful in the manufacture of upholstery fabrics for upholstered furniture and armchairs in a car, as well as equipment for sports and footwear (sports and casual).

Most furniture designers recognize the wide range of uses of artificial leather for all kinds of design solutions.

For the manufacture of upholstery fabrics, as well as interior items, PVC leather is considered an ideal option due to its synthetic nature, variety of color shades and ease of care. It also remains in demand in the production of clothing (raincoats, skirts) and bags.

Eco-leather PU is used in the production of clothes, bags, suitcases, leather goods (wallets, gloves, belts, business card holders).

The main advantage of products made of artificial material is an affordable price, which ensures high popularity among consumers.

How many times, while reading the characteristics of goods, have you come across an abbreviation PU leather(PU) or PU leather? This material, despite its young age, has already earned popularity among consumers due to its qualities. And in this article we will figure out what this popular novelty is. The first thing to start with is that PU leather is, of course, completely different from what we remember from childhood as leatherette or leatherette. It combines the advantages of synthetic and natural materials. PU (from the English polyurethane) leather is not inferior in quality even, and surpasses it in some characteristics.

Thanks to the polymer applied to its base, this leather receives a number of useful properties, which gives it such important and undeniable advantages over natural leather:

• high wear resistance;
• no harmful additives, PU leather is an ecological material;
• has pleasant tactile properties;
• leather is more resistant to wear and tear, which gives it an advantage over natural leather;
• PU leather does not stretch or crack;
• PU leather performs well under the influence of low and high temperatures. In other words, such skin does not stiffen in the cold and does not heat up in the heat.

Polyurethane, of all polymer coatings, is the most resistant to abrasion and stretching. Thanks to the polyurethane coating, the material acquires such important qualities as strength and softness. In contrast to natural leather, polyurethane is more frost-resistant and has the most important characteristic - the ability to "breathe" due to the through pores. This feature is associated with high popularity, because these are such important recently hygienic indicators as air permeability, vapor permeability and hygroscopicity.

The basis of PU (PU) leather is cotton fabric, resistant to mechanical stress and stretching. In its production, microfibers and high quality polyurethane are used, manufactured using new technologies. PU leather is called eco-leather, as it is hypoallergenic.

High-quality PU leather is odorless, and during its use it does not stretch or crack. In its manufacture, the inner layers are made from defective leather of natural origin, which has undergone special processing. The outer layer of polyurethane can be given a variety of colors and applied to any pattern, preserving the qualities of natural leather for air exchange and resistance to deformation, and at the same time imparting a special design. That is, thanks to this PU leather, you can give a more attractive appearance than natural leather, which is very important in the rapidly moving world of fashion.

The use of PU leather is explained by the fact that this material is inexpensive compared to natural leather and is almost not inferior to it in terms of mechanical qualities and functionality. And what can we say about the design possibilities of design, because this material can be obtained in any color and structure.

All this makes it possible to produce watch straps at a low price, which is accordingly reflected in the cost of the finished product, while maintaining the high quality of the finished product. Some misconceptions regarding PU leather should also be dispelled.

What is leatherette?

The leatherette base contains a woven base, and for the production of PU leather, inexpensive natural leather is peeled off the top layer, then covered with polyurethane and then embossed.
PU leather and artificial leather (PVC) PVC have nothing in common. The only thing they have in common is that they are polymers.

Artificial PVC leather is made from polyvinyl chloride with the addition of a plasticizer and other additional components.

PU leather is almost two times lighter than PVC leather and, as we have already mentioned, has high organoleptic properties.

In conclusion, it should be noted that PU leather is already an excellently proven material that is made on a natural basis. And one of its main advantages for the buyer is, of course, the price. Often, the cost is almost five times lower than the same model made of genuine leather, so you can change clothes following the latest fashion trends. And, what is so important in the operation of accessories and clothes, it is extremely light, PU leather products can be washed in the washing machine, and it does not even need to be ironed - it should only be allowed to hang on a hanger for several hours.

PU leather or as it is also called Eco-leather is a high-quality product that has been on the market not so long ago, but in such a short period of time has managed to win the trust and love of manufacturers and buyers. What is this material?

Any artificial leather is a polymer film coating applied to the base.The most common film-forming polymer is polyvinyl chloride (pvc), the top layer of which is not breathable and is appliedon knitted, woven or non-woven fabric.Artificial leather (in other words, leatherette) of this type is the cheapest and least quality.

The film of eco-leather or PU leather is formed by polyurethane. The mechanism of its chemical synthesis is much more complicated than that of PVC. All the required properties are laid down precisely during the chemical synthesis of the polymer, therefore, no additives - plasticizers are needed. During operation, nothing stands out from the polymer film, which is why the name appeared - ecological leather, or eco-leather. The polyurethane film is produced using the latest technology, which makes the material super strong and durable.Polyurethane is used to make the top layer,the inner second and third layers are made from scraps of natural, defective leather that has undergone special processing.

More details: http: //thedb.ru/items/leather_vs_ecoleather/

More details: http: //thedb.ru/items/leather_vs_ecoleather/

PU leather is just a wonderful discovery for replacing natural leather and has a number of positive features., such as:

The property that is especially loved by connoisseurs of natural leather is not lost - it is air circulation;

Resistance to various types of deformation;

It allows you to create leather of various shades and patterns, which makes this material especially popular among girls who are always aware of fashion trends.

It is worth noting that PU leather sometimes even looks more attractive and stylish than natural leather.

To know all the features of this type of leather, you need to understand the difference between PU leather and PVC artificial leather. For some reason, there is a stereotype that they are exactly the same, but this is not so. In the manufacture of artificial leather, PVC is used only with polyvinyl chloride, to which a plasticizer is added, as well as other auxiliary components. It is imperative to point out that PU leather is several times lighter than the second type. And this allows you to have the best organoleptic properties.Polyurethane (PU) itself is a class of polymers with extremely high wear resistance (heels on heels can serve as an example) and frost resistance (up to -35 C), and also has the property of stretching.Eco-leather is a hypoallergenic material, unlike natural leather, which can cause allergenic reactions.

But, the main characteristic that many other materials do not have is the formation of through pores. The skin can "breathe", and this gives impetus to the emergence of new indicators, such as breathability or hygroscopicity.

Well, we can safely say that eco-leather (PU leather) has a lot of advantages, which allows it to occupy a leading position in this area.