LANXESS leather chemicals for industry at FIMEC

Specialty chemicals group LANXESS, one of the leading suppliers of leather chemicals, will present premium products for the leather industry at FIMEC in Brazil.

Lanxess leather chemicals business focus, at FIMEC to be held from April 8 to 11 in Novo Hamburgo, Brazil, will be on innovative products and technologies for retanning and finishing.

Levotan X-Cel, the latest development in retanning, consists in an optimized polymer dispersion using innovative technology based on expandable microcapsules. These microcapsules have a diameter of 5-20 µ and are small enough to penetrate the collagen structure during the retanning process. They are filled with liquid gas and can expand up to 40 times their original size using a steam-based treatment in a machine specially built by the Italian machine manufacturers Fratelli Carlessi S.p.A. according to LANXESS specifications. They then form larger and more resistant micro-cells. During the process, the polymer penetrates the leather, taking the microcapsules with it. Once the retanning process is complete, the leather is submitted to a special saturated steam-based treatment expanding the microcapsules inside the leather.

To fill the increasing demand for leather with a low specific weight, LANXESS Chemicals unit has developed the softening polymer Levotan L, which besides providing low specific weight also results in excellent softness and uniform grain pattern after milling and a unique, pleasant touch. It is also recommended for application in automotive leather production. Finally, Lanxess will present its latest high-performance fatliquor development for very soft articles – Baykanol* Licker LSM.

For the finishing sector, the greatest news is the Aquaderm* X-Shield, a water-based polymer dispersion that is applied as a top coat on the leather. Unlike conventional systems, whose soil-repellent substances gradually wear off, the binder system, developed by Lanxess and the Japanese chemicals company Daikin Industries Ltd., Osaka, with PTFE
(polytetrafluoroethylene) segments incorporated by polymerization is firmly anchored on the surface of the leather. Aquaderm X-Shield protects leather surfaces not only from "standard soil", but also from stains caused, for example, by mustard, ketchup, marker pen inks or engine oil. It also makes cleaning with leather-care products considerably simpler.

Also a complete portfolio of water-based top coats for all kind of articles will be presented, with special attention on the silica-free top coat Aquaderm Mateante 100 which is polyurethane based. In combination with the new Aquaderm XL DI – an isocyanate-based cross-linking agent for direct injection – the highest standards in terms of look and physical resistance are achieved.

In step with fashion trends pointing towards patent leathers, a complete collection of articles has been developed with the new Baygen* Finish P – a very shiny water-based polyurethane top coat. It is an easy product to handle and apply, and gives leathers a differentiated look, mainly for shoes and bags. This leather chemicals product in combination with suitable crosslinking agents and auxiliaries – can be used in the well-known Baygen patent system to produce aqueous lacquer coats under comparable technical conditions and with comparable results. Recognizing the increasing trend towards aqueous finishes, Lanxess Leather Chemicals has developed solutions that will help its customers to overcome ecological requirements.

The new Trend Book Spring-Summer 2009 will also be introduced at the fair, keeping visitors to the Lanxess stand up to date on the future of leather fashions. “Helping our customers with regard to the latest trends in fashion is also one of Lanxess activities. At the Italian Innovation Competence Center based in Santa Croce, Italy, we have a team of technicians and designers that translate new colors and trends for the next season into leather,” says Evandro Kich, Regional Technical Manager of the Leather business unit for South America in the Leather business unit.

* Trademarks of Lanxess.

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