Leather Finishing Chemicals
Leather finishing chemicals include silicone emulsions, amino silicone oils, epoxy silicone modifiers, and PU lacquers applied in the wet-end and finishing stages of leather processing. These chemicals improve softness, surface feel, water repellency, scratch resistance, and aesthetic properties of full-grain, corrected-grain, and split leather for footwear, automotive upholstery, handbags, and garment applications.
Frequently Asked Questions — Leather Finishing Chemicals
How do silicone emulsions improve leather softness?
PDMS silicone emulsions penetrate the leather fiber structure during the fatliquoring stage, depositing a thin lubricating silicone film between collagen fiber bundles. This reduces fiber-fiber friction, resulting in a soft, smooth hand feel. The non-ionic emulsion system is compatible with standard anionic fatliquoring agents and does not interfere with dyestuff uptake.
What silicone products are used in leather surface finishing?
Amino silicone oils improve surface softness and smoothness in top coat finishing lacquers (0.5–3% addition). Epoxy-terminated silicone oils are used as reactive modifiers in PU-based top coats to improve flexibility and reduce cracking. Silicone waxes and PDMS emulsions are used in shoe care and leather dressing sprays for gloss and water repellency.
Can silicone additives be used in waterborne leather finishing systems?
Yes. Both PDMS emulsions and micro-emulsified amino silicone oils are water-based and directly compatible with waterborne PU and acrylic latex leather finishing systems. Add at 0.5–3% to the finishing lacquer with gentle stirring. High-shear mixing is not recommended as it can degrade emulsion stability.
Looking for specific raw materials for Leather Finishing?
Our technical team can recommend the right chemicals for your formulation requirements — samples available.