Objectives of Fatliquoring and Selection of Fatliquor and oils

 Contents of  this article:

Objectives of Fatliquoring

Selection of Fatliquor and oils

Objectives of Fatliquoring

Fatliquoring is the process by which oils are incorporated into leather to make the leather soft and  mellow, full and round, somewhat stretchy and waterproof. Except for some types of sole leather all other sorts off leather are fatliquored to  a greater  or lesser degree, Fatliquoring has the following purpose:

1. Deposit of fatty  substance in the interfibrillary spaces to make the leather the desired softness and handle properties.
2.  The physical  properties Correction and control or water-repelling capacity, water -proofness, water absorption and moisture storage capacity, permeability to air and water vapour,  thermal and  electrical conductivity.

Selection of Fatliquor and oils

In a fatliquor there must be three things:

1. Raw oils, which do not get fixed to the leather fibres but lubricate the latter's.
2. Emulsifiers, which will emulsify the raw oils  and carry them inside the leather easily and at the same time will get fixed to the leather fibres. Though fixed to the leather fibres, the hydrocarbon chains of these emulsifiers lubricate the leather fibres to some extent and also slightly prevent the free movement of raw oils molecules inside  the leather by their power off adhesion.
3. Continuous phase, which is in most of the cases water. This continuous phase acts as a vehicle for the  oils droplets surrounded with emulsifiers. In some special cases high boiling point petroleum solvents are mixed with water.