What Is Synthetic Leather? Full Analysis Of Ingredients And Materials

Also known as artificial leather, it is a relatively durable plastic product made through a series of chemical, physical and other processing technologies.

Different mixtures of PVC and PU are foamed or coated to produce patterns with different wear resistance, color, luster and other patterns. Compared with genuine leather, it has the characteristics of more colorful patterns, high waterproofness and low price. At present, it is commonly used in shoes and bags, clothing, balls, furniture, toys and dolls, clothing, printed stationery and other fields.

The following is a list of the most commonly heard synthetic leather materials:

• PVC artificial leather
PVC is the abbreviation of Polyvinyl Chloride, and its chemical name is "polyvinyl chloride"

The common PVC artificial leather manufacturing method is polyvinyl chloride (a kind of plastic, commonly used in leisure cards, credit cards, etc.), or a mixture of resin, plasticizer and other additives, which is coated or attached to the base material (such as Plastic substrates and fiber substrates. Plastic substrates are widely used in leather products because of their excellent durability and wear resistance. Fiber substrates include polyester fiber, nylon and cotton, etc., which have soft and comfortable touch properties) A composite material made by processing, which is waterproof and wear-resistant. PVC artificial leather is stronger than PU leather, so it is mainly used in bags, furniture, car interiors, interior design and building materials, etc.

• PU artificial leather
PU is the abbreviation of Polyurethane, and its chemical name is "polyurethane"

The construction method is to spray paint or apply one or more layers of PU resin on the fabric as a thin film of the base fabric, so that the surface has a texture similar to animal skin. It can also be processed and printed to produce various patterns later, because it has a texture similar to natural leather. With a soft texture, PU leather is also the most common synthetic leather material currently on the market and is often used in clothing and imitation leather accessories.

• Microfiber leather
The full name is microfiber PU synthetic leather. It is made of a layer of high-performance PU (polyurethane resin) and microfiber base cloth. The skin texture is very similar to genuine leather. It feels as soft as genuine leather and the structure is closest to genuine leather. It has the advantages of wear resistance, breathability, flexibility and aging resistance.

• Eco-friendly leather (vegan leather)
Also known as vegetable leather, it means that the leather production process is 100% free of animal ingredients and animal testing, which is vegan leather.

Recently, it is often made from cactus leaves, pineapple leaf fibers, mango, and apple peels. The texture of the vegan leather is close to that of animal leather, and it is also flexible, breathable, and durable. It is leather that can also be used by vegetarians.

Because PVC leather, PU leather and microfiber leather are all artificial leather materials, the appearance and texture of genuine leather are similar. In terms of price and grade, superfiber > PU = PVC, but there will still be other processing technologies or additional processing. The accessories are different depending on the hardware. Depending on your personal preferences and needs, you can choose the style that suits you.