Quite recently, in the vast expanses of stores selling leather goods, products have appeared with the following printed on the label: composition - 100% PU. Even sales consultants often do not know how to correctly explain to the buyer what this material is: pressed leather or leatherette, natural or artificial. And all these definitions are incorrect, PU leather - what is it, will be discussed further.
PU leather: what is it
When considering whether this product is natural or imitation leather, we can safely say the opposite. This is polyurethane, a high-grade polymer that has the structure and structure of natural leather. Polyurethane leather is an innovative and high-tech material with excellent characteristics.
There are two types of this material: 100% polyurethane and fabric with a PU top. It is easy to understand what PU fabric is if you study the composition:
- The top layer is polyurethane, which is applied to the base.
- The base is two or three layers consisting of natural defective material, specially processed.
- One of the layers is pressed natural leather.
- The second base consists of cotton fiber.
The top layer is dyed, treated with various agents and decorated. The inner layers of the base are not touched, as a result of which the fabric has increased strength and does not stretch. The material freely passes air, since its structure has a porous structure. It is more attractive in appearance than genuine leather, but its properties are not inferior, and in some ways even superior.
Please note! Polyurethane is artificial leather with an admixture of natural leather. It has another name - eco-leather, because good quality and environmentally friendly raw materials are used in its production. Finished products are safe to use, non-toxic and hypoallergenic.
How is PU fabric made?
The production of the material in question is a complex and labor-intensive process consisting of several technological stages. Leather consists of several layers and is usually based on cotton, knitted or any thin fabric, even non-woven materials.
A thin layer of natural material is spread on it, obtained from scraps and defective areas of natural raw materials that have undergone special processing. This layer is impregnated with complex polymer mixtures to give it strength. The last coating - the third layer - is polyurethane, which gives the material its texture.
The technological process of applying polyurethane to a layer of natural leather occurs at a temperature of 130-160 degrees. The finished product does not lose the properties inherent in natural matter. Polyurethane is considered a synthetic material, but it allows you to dye PU leather in the most incredible colors, with patterns and prints, for which consumers love it so much.
This material acquires the following properties during processing:
- resistance to severe frosts;
- withstands heavy mechanical loads;
- It is extremely durable and elastic, and clothes made from it will only tear at the seams;
- has no synthetic smell.
The structure of this material is soft and pleasant to the touch. It is much lighter than genuine leather or leatherette.
Where it is used
Due to its high technological characteristics, leather has a wide range of applications. Designers like to work with this material, its surface gives a wide scope for the implementation of interesting design ideas.
What is made from polyurethane material:
- watch straps;
- cases for laptops, cameras and mobile phones;
- men's and women's jackets, down jackets;
- bags for women and men, wallets;
- footwear - surface and sole: boots, ballet shoes, sneakers;
- furniture upholstery;
- sports equipment: balls, gloves, sports shoes, protective face masks.
Since the material has good resistance to mineral oils, it is used to make car seals. If the label of boots or shoes has the STIKS series printed on it, this should mean high quality of the material used to make the shoes. This is a guarantee of high durability of the sole made of polyurethane and the upper of the shoe made of the material in question.
Clothing and accessories, furniture and cars, sports equipment and other items made from PU leather will serve their owner for a long time without changing their original appearance, without deforming or fading.
Differences between natural and artificial materials
Manufacturers have learned to fake artificial leather with the help of new technologies so that it is difficult to distinguish it from natural leather. This applies not only to the front surface, but also to the back of the fabric. Why should a buyer know what material was used to make a particular item? Natural material lasts a long time, is not afraid of temperature changes and lets air through, and the price of such an item is much higher than that of “leatherette”.
To avoid buying a fake at the price of a natural material, you need to conduct the following tests right in the store:
- Place a drop of water on the surface of the product. If the material is natural, the water will quickly be absorbed and the leather will darken in this place. Leather substitute will not absorb water and there will be no stain.
- Naturalness can be checked by deformation. The material needs to be bent: if folds appear at the bending point, which then quickly disappear, then the material is natural.
- The cut of the natural material is slightly thicker than that of the substitute, since it is made on the basis of thin fabric. It is recommended to check the cut, if the item you are buying has one.
- You can put your palm on the surface. Genuine leather heats up immediately and begins to give off heat, simultaneously absorbing moisture. Leatherette cools the palm and does not absorb moisture.
Please note! You can check the naturalness by smell. Natural raw materials have a special smell and it is impossible to confuse it. But artificial material smells like oilcloth or plastic. But manufacturers have learned to work with flavors that interrupt the smell. Therefore, it is necessary to check all parameters.
Another test is the flammability test. Genuine leather will not be damaged when touched by fire, but artificial leather will start to melt. And another test is the weight of the product. A leather item will be significantly heavier than one made of "leatherette". This is clearly visible if you compare the weight of outerwear.
The fact remains somewhat unclear: is polyurethane leather or not. Since this material is produced using high-tech chemical processes, it is an artificial material. Although it has high characteristics: the material allows air to pass through and absorbs moisture, like natural leather. It is not afraid of low temperatures and serves for quite a long time. But still, it is an artificial material, although it has a layer of processed natural leather of very high quality.
Advantages and disadvantages
What is polyurethane leather and what are its advantages in use:
- has high wear resistance;
- allows air to pass through freely;
- absorbs moisture (sweat);
- feels very similar to natural material;
- withstands low temperatures, does not crack or harden in frost;
- does not smell of chemicals;
- does not cause allergies;
- elastic;
- keeps its shape for a long time during use.
The material is quite soft and fits the figure well. PU material is much, namely 4-5 times cheaper than a natural product, which makes it possible to update your wardrobe more often with fashionable things and accessories, change the interior of your apartment, buying new beautiful furniture. When buying fabric to sew something, it is easy to take exactly as much as is required for the product, which is impossible to do with genuine leather.
Important! It is very easy to care for products made from this material. Clothes can be washed even in a washing machine and do not necessarily need to be ironed, they just need to be hung up straight for a few hours, and the "wrinkles" will disappear.
The material in question has few disadvantages, but they do exist:
- Those who have pets, namely cats and dogs, should refrain from buying furniture with PU leather upholstery. If they make a deep scratch on it, the defect will not be repaired.
- It gets dirty quickly, and if there are small children in the family, it is impossible to completely remove their artwork from felt-tip pens and paints.
- Cheap leather takes longer to heat up, which is inconvenient for winter.
The polyurethane surface cannot be cleaned with abrasives to remove dirt. The integrity of the surface structure may be damaged and an unsightly stain will remain that cannot be masked.
High-quality leather with polyurethane coating is a good material, worthy of wide application in various industries. It can easily replace natural leather, which will be humane to wildlife. But finding high-quality material is difficult and you will have to try, and it is absolutely impossible for an ordinary person to determine this when buying. Before buying, it is recommended to study the presented instructions on the differences between natural and artificial material.
