Leather is a natural durable and flexible material created by tanning animal

rawhides and skins. The most common raw material is cattle hide. It can be produced
at manufacturing scales ranging from artisan to modern industrial scale.

Leather is used to make a variety of articles, including footwear, automobile

seats, clothing, bags, book bindings, fashion accessories, and furniture. It is
produced in a wide variety of types and styles and decorated by a wide range of
techniques. The earliest record of leather artifacts dates back to 2200 BC.

Production processes

Drying of leather in East Timor

Leather tanning in Fes, Morocco

Tanned leather in Marrakech

Main article: Leather production processes
The leather manufacturing process is divided into three fundamental subprocesses:
preparatory stages, tanning, and crusting. A further subprocess, finishing, can be
added into the leather process sequence, but not all leathers receive finishing.

The preparatory stages are when the hide is prepared for tanning. Preparatory
stages may include: soaking, unhairing, liming, deliming, bating, bleaching, and
pickling.

Tanning is a process that stabilizes the proteins, particularly collagen, of the

raw hide to increase the thermal, chemical and microbiological stability of the
hides and skins, making it suitable for a wide variety of end applications. The
principal difference between raw and tanned hides is that raw hides dry out to form
a hard, inflexible material that, when rewetted, will putrefy, while tanned
material dries to a flexible form that does not become putrid when rewetted.

Many tanning methods and materials exist. The typical process sees tanners load the
hides into a drum and immerse them in a tank that contains the tanning "liquor".
The hides soak while the drum slowly rotates about its axis, and the tanning liquor
slowly penetrates through the full thickness of the hide. Once the process achieves
even penetration, workers slowly raise the liquor's pH in a process called
basification, which fixes the tanning material to the leather. The more tanning
material fixed, the higher the leather's hydrothermal stability and shrinkage
temperature resistance.

Crusting is a process that thins and lubricates leather. It often includes a

coloring operation. Chemicals added during crusting must be fixed in place.
Crusting culminates with a drying and softening operation, and may include
splitting, shaving, dyeing, whitening or other methods.

For some leathers, tanners apply a surface coating, called "finishing". Finishing
operations can include oiling, brushing, buffing, coating, polishing, embossing,
glazing, or tumbling, among others.

Leather can be oiled to improve its water resistance. This currying process after
tanning supplements the natural oils remaining in the leather itself, which can be
washed out through repeated exposure to water. Frequent oiling of leather, with
mink oil, neatsfoot oil, or a similar material keeps it supple and improves its
lifespan dramatically.[1]

Tanning methods
Tanning processes largely differ in which chemicals are used in the tanning liquor.
Some common types include:
Vegetable-tanned leather is tanned using tannins extracted from vegetable matter,
such as tree bark prepared in bark mills. It is the oldest known method. It is
supple and brown in color, with the exact shade depending on the mix of materials
and the color of the skin. The color tan derives its name from the appearance of
undyed vegetable-tanned leather. Vegetable-tanned leather is not stable in water;
it tends to discolor, and if left to soak and then dry, it shrinks and becomes
harder. This is a feature of oak-bark-tanned leather that is exploited in
traditional shoemaking. In hot water, it shrinks drastically and partly congeals,
becoming rigid and eventually brittle. Boiled leather is an example of this, where
the leather has been hardened by being immersed in hot water, or in boiled wax or
similar substances. Historically, it was occasionally used as armor after
hardening, and it has also been used for book binding.
Chrome-tanned leather, invented in 1858, is tanned using chromium sulfate and other
chromium salts . It is also known as "wet blue" for the pale blue color of the
undyed leather. The chrome tanning method usually takes approximately one day to
complete, making it best suited for large-scale industrial use. This is the most
common method in modern use. It is more supple and pliable than vegetable-tanned
leather and does not discolor or lose shape as drastically in water as vegetable-
tanned. However, there are environmental concerns with this tanning method, as
chromium is a heavy metal.
Aldehyde-tanned leather is tanned using glutaraldehyde or oxazolidine compounds. It
is referred to as "wet white" due to its pale cream color. It is the main type of
"chrome-free" leather, often seen in shoes for infants and automobiles.
Formaldehyde has been used for tanning in the past; it is being phased out due to
danger to workers and sensitivity of many people to formaldehyde.
Chamois leather is a form of aldehyde tanning that produces a porous and highly
water-absorbent leather. Chamois leather is made using marine oils (traditionally
cod oil) that oxidize to produce the aldehydes that tan the leather.
Brain tanned leathers are made by a labor-intensive process that uses emulsified
oils, often those of animal brains such as deer, cattle, and buffalo. They are
known for their exceptional softness and washability.
Alum leather is transformed using aluminium salts mixed with a variety of binders
and protein sources, such as flour and egg yolk. Alum leather is not actually
tanned; rather the process is called "tawing", and the resulting material reverts
to rawhide if soaked in water long enough to remove the alum salts.
Grades
In general, leather is produced in the following grades:

Top-grain leather includes the outer layer of the hide, known as the grain, which
features finer, more densely packed fibers, resulting in strength and durability.
Depending on thickness, it may also contain some of the more fibrous under layer,
known as the corium. Types of top-grain leather include:
Full-grain leather contains the entire grain layer, without any removal of the
surface. Rather than wearing out, it develops a patina during its useful lifetime.
It is usually considered the highest quality leather. Furniture and footwear are
often made from full-grain leather. Full-grain leather is typically finished with a
soluble aniline dye. Russia leather is a form of full-grain leather.
Corrected grain leather has the surface subjected to finishing treatments to create
a more uniform appearance. This usually involves buffing or sanding away flaws in
the grain, then dyeing and embossing the surface.
Nubuck is top-grain leather that has been sanded or buffed on the grain side to
give a slight nap of short protein fibers, producing a velvet-like surface.
Split leather is created from the corium left once the top-grain has been separated
from the hide, known as the drop split. In thicker hides, the drop split can be
further split into a middle split and a flesh split.
Suede is made from the underside of a split to create a soft, napped finish. It is
often made from younger or smaller animals, as the skins of adults often result in
a coarse, shaggy nap.
Bicast leather is split leather that has a polyurethane or vinyl layer applied to
the surface and embossed to give it the appearance of a grain. It is slightly
stiffer than top-grain leather but has a more consistent texture.
Patent leather is leather that has been given a high-gloss finish by the addition
of a coating. Dating to the late 1700s, it became widely popular after inventor
Seth Boyden developed the first mass-production process, using a linseed oil-based
lacquer, in Newark, New Jersey, in 1818. Modern versions are usually a form of
bicast leather.
Bonded leather, also called reconstituted leather, is a material that uses leather
scraps that are shredded and bonded together with polyurethane or latex onto a
fiber mesh. The amount of leather fibers in the mix varies from 10% to 90%,
affecting the properties of the product.[2]
From other animals

Phone cases in ostrich leather

Today, most leather is made of cattle hides, which constitute about 65% of all
leather produced. Other animals that are used include sheep, about 13%, goats,
about 11%, and pigs, about 10%. Obtaining accurate figures from around the world is
difficult, especially for areas where the skin may be eaten.[3][4] Other animals
mentioned below only constitute a fraction of a percent of total leather
production.

Horse hides are used to make particularly durable leathers. Shell cordovan is a
horse leather made not from the outer skin but an under layer found only in equine
species called the shell. It is prized for its mirror-like finish and anti-creasing
properties.

Lamb and deerskin are used for soft leather in more expensive apparel. Deerskin is
widely used in work gloves and indoor shoes.

Reptilian skins, such as alligator, crocodile, and snake, are noted for their
distinct patterns that reflect the scales of their species. This has led to hunting
and farming of these species in part for their skins.

Kangaroo leather is used to make items that must be strong and flexible. It is the
material most commonly used in bullwhips. Some motorcyclists favor kangaroo leather
for motorcycle leathers because of its light weight and abrasion resistance.[5]
Kangaroo leather is also used for falconry jesses, soccer footwear,[6] and boxing
speed bags.[7]

Although originally raised for their feathers in the 19th century, ostriches are
now more popular for both meat and leather.[8] Ostrich leather has a characteristic
"goose bump" look because of the large follicles where the feathers grew. Different
processes produce different finishes for many applications, including upholstery,
footwear, automotive products, accessories, and clothing.

In Thailand, stingray leather is used in wallets and belts. Stingray leather is

tough and durable. The leather is often dyed black and covered with tiny round
bumps in the natural pattern of the back ridge of an animal. These bumps are then
usually dyed white to highlight the decoration. Stingray rawhide is also used as
grips on Chinese swords, Scottish basket hilted swords, and Japanese katanas.
Stingray leather is also used for high abrasion areas in motorcycle racing leathers
(especially in gloves, where its high abrasion resistance helps prevent wear
through in the event of an accident.)

For a given thickness, fish leather is typically much stronger due to its criss-
crossed fibers.[9]

Environmental impact
Leather produces some environmental impact, most notably due to:

The carbon footprint of cattle rearing

Use of chemicals in the tanning process (e.g., chromium, formic acid, mercury and
solvents)
Air pollution due to the transformation process (hydrogen sulfide during dehairing
and ammonia during deliming, solvent vapors)
Carbon footprint
One estimate of the carbon footprint of leather goods is 0.51 kg of CO2 equivalent
per �1 of output at 2010 retail prices, or 0.71 kg CO2eq per �1 of output at 2010
industry prices.[10]

Water footprint
One ton of hide or skin generally produces 20 to 80 m3 of waste water, including
chromium levels of 100�400 mg/l, sulfide levels of 200�800 mg/l, high levels of fat
and other solid wastes, and notable pathogen contamination. Producers often add
pesticides to protect hides during transport. With solid wastes representing up to
70% of the wet weight of the original hides, the tanning process represents a
considerable strain on water treatment installations.[11]

Disposal
Leather biodegrades slowly�taking 25 to 40 years to decompose.[12] However, vinyl
and petrochemical-derived materials take 500 or more years to decompose.[13]

Chemical waste disposal

Rajasthani-style leather jooti, Jaipur, India

Tanning is especially polluting in countries where environmental regulations are
lax, such as in India, the world's third-largest producer and exporter of leather.
To give an example of an efficient pollution prevention system, chromium loads per
produced tonne are generally abated from 8 kg to 1.5 kg. VOC emissions are
typically reduced from 30 kg/t to 2 kg/t in a properly managed facility. A review
of the total pollution load decrease achievable according to the United Nations
Industrial Development Organization[14] posts precise data on the abatement
achievable through industrially proven low-waste advanced methods, while noting,
"even though the chrome pollution load can be decreased by 94% on introducing
advanced technologies, the minimum residual load 0.15 kg/t raw hide can still cause
difficulties when using landfills and composting sludge from wastewater treatment
on account of the regulations currently in force in some countries."

In Kanpur, the self-proclaimed "Leather City of World"�with 10,000 tanneries as of

2011 and a city of three million on the banks of the Ganges�pollution levels were
so high, that despite an industry crisis, the pollution control board decided to
shut down 49 high-polluting tanneries out of 404 in July 2009.[15] In 2003 for
instance, the main tanneries' effluent disposal unit was dumping 22 tonnes of
chromium-laden solid waste per day in the open.[16]

In the Hazaribagh neighborhood of Dhaka in Bangladesh, chemicals from tanneries end

up in Dhaka's main river. Besides the environmental damage, the health of both
local factory workers and the end consumer is also negatively affected.[17] After
approximately 15 years of ignoring high court rulings, the government shut down
more than 100 tanneries the weekend of 8 April 2017 in the neighborhood.[18]

The higher cost associated with the treatment of effluents than to untreated
effluent discharging leads to illegal dumping to save on costs. For instance, in
Croatia in 2001, proper pollution abatement cost US$70�100 per ton of raw hides
processed against $43/t for irresponsible behavior.[19] In November 2009, one of
Uganda's main leather making companies was caught directly dumping waste water into
a wetland adjacent to Lake Victoria.[20]
Role of enzymes
Enzymes like proteases, lipases, and amylases have an important role in the
soaking, dehairing, degreasing, and bating operations of leather manufacturing.
Proteases are the most commonly used enzymes in leather production. The enzyme must
not damage or dissolve collagen or keratin, but should hydrolyze casein, elastin,
albumin, globulin-like proteins, and nonstructural proteins that are not essential
for leather making. This process is called bating.[21]

Lipases are used in the degreasing operation to hydrolyze fat particles embedded in
the skin.[22]

Amylases are used to soften skin, to bring out the grain, and to impart strength
and flexibility to the skin. These enzymes are rarely used.

Preservation and conditioning

The natural fibers of leather break down with the passage of time. Acidic leathers
are particularly vulnerable to red rot, which causes powdering of the surface and a
change in consistency. Damage from red rot is aggravated by high temperatures and
relative humidities. Although it is chemically irreversible, treatments can add
handling strength and prevent disintegration of red rotted leather.

Exposure to long periods of low relative humidities (below 40%) can cause leather
to become desiccated, irreversibly changing the fibrous structure of the leather.
Chemical damage can also occur from exposure to environmental factors, including
ultraviolet light, ozone, acid from sulfurous and nitrous pollutants in the air, or
through a chemical action following any treatment with tallow or oil compounds.
Both oxidation and chemical damage occur faster at higher temperatures.

Various treatments are available such as conditioners. Saddle soap is used for
cleaning, conditioning, and softening leather. Leather shoes are widely conditioned
with shoe polish.[23]

In modern culture

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Due to its excellent resistance to abrasion and wind, leather found a use in rugged
occupations. The enduring image of a cowboy in leather chaps gave way to the
leather-jacketed and leather-helmeted aviator. When motorcycles were invented, some
riders took to wearing heavy leather jackets to protect from road rash and wind
blast; some also wear chaps or full leather pants to protect the lower body.

Leather's flexibility allows it to be formed and shaped into balls and protective
gear. Subsequently, many sports use equipment made from leather, such as baseball
gloves and the ball used in American football.

Leather fetishism is the name popularly used to describe a fetishistic attraction

to people wearing leather, or in certain cases, to the garments themselves.

Many rock groups (particularly heavy metal and punk groups in the 1980s) are well
known for wearing leather clothing. Extreme metal bands (especially black metal
bands) and Goth rock groups have extensive black leather clothing. Leather has
become less common in the punk community over the last three decades, as there is
opposition to the use of leather from punks who support animal rights.

Many cars and trucks come with optional or standard leather or "leather faced"
seating.
Religious sensitivities
In countries with significant populations of individuals observing religions which
place restrictions on material choices, leather vendors typically clarify the kinds
of leather in their products. For example, leather shoes bear a label that
identifies the animal from which the leather came. This helps a Muslim not
accidentally purchase pigskin, and a Hindu to avoid cattle, this is to adhere to
religious observance and respect. Many vegetarian Hindus do not use any kind of
leather. Such taboos increase the demand for religiously neutral leathers such as
ostrich and deer.

Judaism forbids the comfort of wearing leather shoes on Yom Kippur, Tisha B'Av, and
during mourning.[24] Also, see Teffilin and Torah Scroll.

Jainism prohibits the use of leather, since it is obtained by killing animals.

Alternatives
Many artificial leather substitutes have been developed, usually involving
polyurethane or vinyl coatings applied to a cloth backing. Many names and brands
for such artificial leathers exist, including "pleather", a portmanteau of "plastic
leather", and the brand name Naugahyde.[25]

Another alternative is cultured leather which is lab-grown using cell culture

methods. A few companies have started to produce cultured leather commercially.[26]
[27]