Articles - Leather Technology Magazine Nº73

Analysis of efflorescences formed on the surface of leather

Authors: Kyoji Sato ^1
1Leather Test Centre. Industrial Technology Research Institute of Osaka. 1-18-13 Kishibenaka, Suita, Osaka, Japan (ZIP: 564-0002)

Analysis of efflorescences formed on the surface of leather

Work published in the Magazine of the Japanese Leather Chemists Association: Leather Science, Vol 53, N° 4, pp 127-131 (2008)

ABSTRACT

During the last times, a decrease has been observed in consumer complaints concerning cases of efflorescence formation on the surface of leather items of local origin.
However, this has not happened with leather articles manufactured abroad. When submitting their complaint, many consumers believe that these formations are mould growth, a fact which affects the good reputation of leather articles. Determining the components of efflorescences is very complex since the amount present on the surface of leather is minimal, but we will see here that it is not difficult
to distinguish between fat efflorescence and mould. We will also present cases in which it was possible to determine the cause of efflorescence formation based on the analysis of the efflorescence components, and the corrective actions taken.