Lanxess: New developments in leather chemicals

Edenvale, SA - The Leather Business Unit of specialty chemicals company Lanxess is one of the leading suppliers of system solutions for the leather industry – from chemicals for all stages of leather production to on-site technical support. With its product portfolio and processes for manufacturing leather for a range of purposes, it covers the complete value chain of leather production. A cooperation agreement with The Dow Chemical Company enlarges Lanxess's product range further.

Lanxess continues to innovate in leather chemicals – not just individual products, but systems, which give complete solutions to the key challenges that tanners face. The examples below represent the latest generation of products leading to tanning, retanning and finishing results.

Lanxess continues to invest in syntan research to underpin the future of the leather industry. The latest product launches are: Tanigan LM, Tanigan LM liquid and Tanigan UL.

These products have optimized molecular weight distribution giving enhanced performances. Sustainability, which has become essential to our leather industry, is built into these products with reduced residual monomer content giving clear advantages over traditional syntans, including improved effluent.

Although Tanigan LM and Tanigan LM liquid are suitable for all leather types, they are particularly recommended for soft and milled articles.

Tanigan UL is recommended for application as a general purpose syntan, as a base in a wide variety of formulations.

Levotan LS represents a continuation of the Lanxess-developed Levotan L technology, a softening agent  based on modified polyamide carboxylic acid for the application in the retannage of chrome, chrome-free and vegetable tanned leather. With this latest version it can increasingly replace traditional fatliquors and gives a fluffy and light-weight leather character with high “inner softness”, silky feel, and excellent dyeing uniformity and depth.

Levaderm dyestuffs WB is a range of anionic, solvent-free, water-based liquid dyestuffs which are suitable, and typically used, for spray dyeing, through-feed dyeing, effect coats and the tinting of base and top coats. All dyestuffs are characterized by high yield, pure brilliance, very good levelling power and excellent fastness properties.

Bayderm Finish UP-I is a ready to use PUD base top coat compound, commonly used for furniture leather. It can be combined with any other product out of the Bayderm Finish UP range in order to modify gloss or feel.

Bayderm Bottom ELP is an aliphatic, medium hard PUD base coat binder. It results in low tack finishes with excellent dry and wet adhesion and good flex performance. Bayderm Bottom ELP shows good cold storing properties.

Aquaderm Matt PCM is an aqueous, highly effective polycarbonate PUD top coat matting agent. Typically it is used in automotive formulations and results in high abrasion resistant finishes, with good hydrolysis and heat yellowing properties. It is VOC- and DBT-free.

Baygen Compact HC is a base coat compound for patent leather, based on PUD and acrylic binders with auxiliaries and is commonly used for corrected grain leather. It shows excellent covering power, very good flexes, and low tackiness at stacking, plating and embossing.

HYDRHOLAC CL-20 Emulsion is a medium hard, transparent acrylic binder for high-quality top coats. It is used in combination with acrylic- or polyurethane-based matting agents.

Opti-Matt AD-20 Duller is an aqueous matting agent for high-quality finishes and is based on organic and inorganic matting technology. Due to this chemistry it results in much lower polishing effect than conventional, silica-based matting agents. Finishes based on HYDRHOLAC CL-20Emulsion and Opti-Matt AD-20 Duller show exceptional flexibility, particularly in cold conditions and excellent resistance to discoloration in heat. Such formulations also result in improved rub and abrasion resistance over conventional acrylic finishes. - [+27 (0)11 457 4041, dave.radcliffe@lanxess.com, www.lanxess.com]