Deeper understanding of leather as a material

Specialty chemicals company LANXESS has hosted its fourth seminar for the leather and apparel industry at its headquarters in Cologne. In addition to the multifaceted aspects of leather as a material, this year’s event on January 10 and 11, 2019, presented the handling of emissions and odors as well as the current legal requirements.

According to the company’s commitment to better engage manufacturers, brands and other stakeholders in the industry to support leather as a valued material, the overall objective of this conference was to provide a deeper understanding of the leather material – especially with regard to the use of chemicals.

After an introduction by Dr. Dietrich Tegtmeyer, who is responsible for Leather Industry Relations at LANXESS, Dr. Martin Kleban, HSEQ representative in the LANXESS Leather business unit, gave an update on the regulatory requirements for the production of leather. The agenda also included numerous topics from external speakers such as “Reconditioning of leather to pass Cr VI limits” (Peter Erren, Erren Recondition/Netherlands) and “Biodegradability of Leather” (Karl Flowers, Authenticae/United Kingdom). Furthermore, Dr. Volker Rabe, Head of Technical Product Management for Tanning Technology at LANXESS, described the possibilities of influencing the odor of leather and how the emission of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) can be kept low or avoided.

The conference was attended by more than 60 representatives of leading brand manufacturers from the apparel industry and certification institutes.