Professional Documents
Culture Documents
LEATHER TERMS –A
Abraded grain Grain enamel that has been damaged by bacterial, mechanical or chemical
action. See: Low grain, blind grain.
Abrasion Removal of surface material from any solid through the frictional action of
another solid, a liquid, a gas, or combination thereof.
Abrasive paper Paper coated with abrasive powder used for machine buffing of leather.
Abscess Localised infection over lesions in the skin or hide, sometimes covered with
a scab.
Absorptive power Capability of a material (dye, levelling agent, grease) to be taken up by the
fabric.
Acer tannin Crystalline digalloyl hexitol, without tanning properties, isolated from the
leaves of Acer ginnala.
Acid dyestuff Water-soluble anionic dyestuff that is applied to nitrogenous fibres such as
leather, wool, silk, nylon and modified acrylic fibres from acid or neutral
baths.
Acid tan Partially spent vegetable tanning material, removed from the old-fashioned
layer pits , which has become acid owing to fermentation and is leached to
prepare suspender liquors.
Acid-salt ratio Ratio of total salts to total free acids in a vegetable tan liquor.
Adhesion Measure of the ability of a film of finish to resist being peeled away from the
surface of the leather to which it has been applied.
Adhesive Substance used to bond two or more solids so that they act or can be used
as a single piece; examples are resins, glue, paste, cement, putty and
polyvinyl resin emulsions.
Adhesive power Ability of a finish to hold firmly onto the leather or another coating.
Adhesive strip test Empiric evaluation of the adhesion of the finishing layer by applying a strip
of adhesive paper on the finished surface of the leather and tearing it away
rapidly.
Adipose tissue Form of connective tissue in whose cell fat is deposited and stored. More
frequently found in the flesh layer of the hide or skin.
See: Double hiding; fatty spue; fatty stain; grease mark; degrease (v);
degreasing.
Adsorbable Organic Halogens Compounds Chemical organic halogen compounds that are adsorbed to surfaces or
(AOX) materials.
Aeration Introduction of oxygen into water or effluent streams by bringing the water
or effluent into intimate contact with air.
Aeration tank Tank in which aeration is performed for the biological aerobic treatment of
an effluent.
Aerator Surface aerator intended to aerate water through a surface mixing. The two
main types are :
- vertical axis type (takes water and sprays it laterally into the air)
Agate cylinder Glazing cylinder in a glazing machine to develop a high gloss to previously
seasoned leather.
Ageing 1. To store leather to allow tanning agent to become more firmly fixed.
2. Changes that occur during the use of the material over a period of time.
For example, caused by heat, ultra violet or artificial ageing processes.
Agent Generic term covering many different materials used in processing hides and
skins through to finished leather.
Air blast Blowing (in) compressed air, such as air-blast dedusting machine.
Air circulation System of circulating air continuously round a drying unit, often for several
times, before being extracted.
Air drying Drying of hides, skins or finished leather by exposure to the air until
equilibrium is reached.
Air permeability Ability of a membrane or other material to permit air to pass through it.
Air scrubber Device used to purify the air with circulating water, such as used in
automatic spraying machine cabinets.
Airless spraying Application technique of finish. In this system the liquid finish is ejected
from the spray gun under pressure without air, giving a much heavier spray
coat with less bounce-off or waste.
Albumin Any of a group of plant and animal proteins which are soluble in water and
dilute salt solutions and are coagulated by heat.
Alcohol General term for different alcohols, organic chemical compounds containing
the -OH group, used in finish formulations as solvents or diluents.
Aldehyde retannage Second tanning treatment, with an aldehyde R-CHO, of an already tanned
leather, to modify its properties, using an agent of the same or an entirely
different type.
Alkyl phenol ethoxylates (APE) Chemical group which includes nonyl phenol ethoxylates such as emulsifiers.
Alum retanned Second tanning treatment, with double sulphates formed from one of the
alkali metals combined with a trivalent metal, usually potassium alum and
salt, but sometimes with aluminium sulphate and salt.
Alum tanning Process of converting skins to leather based essentially upon the use, strictly
speaking, of potassium alum, but sometimes of aluminium sulphate.
Amino acid Any of the organic compounds that contain one or more basic amino groups
and one or more acidic carboxyl groups. Many amino acids are polymerised
to form peptides and proteins; examples are tyrosine and lysine.
Amphoteric dyestuff Dyestuff which can exhibit the characteristics of either an acid or a base, and
could ionise as a coloured cation or anion, according to the pH.
Anaerobiosis A biological process in which the reactions occur in the absence of dissolved
oxygen; only chemically bound oxygen is used for the respiration of the
micro-organisms. This species of micro-organisms is said to be anaerobic.
Angle of weave Fibre pattern within the hide or skin. Can be genetic or process related.
Horizontal fibre defect is where the corium fibres are orientated horizontal
to the grain surface and are parallel and not interlaced. Vertical fibre defect
is where fibres passing from the epidermal layer to the corium are
orientated vertically to the grain surface.
Aniline Colourless oily compound, C6H5 NH2, the base used in the formation of many
rich dyes obtained from coal tar but more extensively from benzole; also the
base for resins and varnishes.
Aniline finish Dyed leather without any pigmented coat. A transparent top coat may be
added but the natural appearance of the grain should remain visible.
Anionic dyestuff Ion, molecule or radical from a dyestuff with a negative charge.
Anionic fatliquor Ion, molecule or radical from a fatliquor (oil globules) with a negative
charge.
Anionic resin Ion, molecule or radical from a resin (organic substance) with a negative
charge.
Anionic surfactant Ion, molecule or radical from a surfactant with a negative charge.
Anoxia Describes a condition in which oxygen is absent and where nitrites and
nitrates are present.
Ante mortem 1. Made shortly before death, for instance injuries in the slaughterhouse
during unloading from the transporting trucks, etc.
2. Ante mortem is very often used to designate skin and hide damage factors
occurring ‘long’ before the animals death.
Anti-auxochrome group Any radical or group, such as –NO, -NO2 or C=O, in a coloured organic
substance which can accept electrons.
Anti-friction agent Finishing auxiliary such as silicone based modifiers, used to improve the
surface feel of the leather. Note: Silky, slippy feel to garment leather.
Antique grain Finishing method for achieving irregular two-tone effects to give the grain
side of the leather an appearance of age and usage. The leather receives a
raised embossed grain and after application of a wax resist it is treated with
a second, mostly darker graining colour. The recessed parts will then have a
darker shade in comparison to the raised parts.
Antiseptic Compound that can be applied to and remain on the surface of the skin or
mucosa and kill or inhibit the growth of infection-causing micro-organisms.
Anti-sticking agent Used to reduce tackiness of the finishing coat and assist hot plating,
embossing or ironing.
Apparent density Ratio between the mass and the volume of a substance including both the
structure and the enclosed air spaces. Note: The interfibrillary spaces
between fibres in the leather.
Apron leather Leather for protective aprons for smiths, foundry workers, draymen, etc.
Note: Vegetable or chrome tanned, stout, large sheep and pigskins, kips and
cattle hide splits.
Aqueous emulsion Dispersion of one liquid, such as oil, throughout water in which it is
insoluble.
Area measurement Measurement of the area of a leather or hide or skin. The area is expressed
in m2 (square metres) or in dm2 (square decimetres). The traditional
method, still widely used, is to express the area in square feet (sq. ft. = 30.48
x 30.48 cm2).
Aromatic amine Organic compound that contains one or more amino groups joined to an
aromatic structure.
Artificial grain Grain appearance given to a flesh split or buffed grain by pigment finishing
with or without embossing.
ASA-leather In Austria and Germany the common abbreviation for leather for the
production of protective articles used in leather industry (Arbeiter-
Schutzartikel=ASA), usually made of chrome tanned cattle hide leather.
Astringency Property of a tanning agent to combine rapidly with the hide substance,
leading to a contraction of the structure of the hide. This term is often used
to describe the properties of a vegetable tanning solution.
Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS ) Measurement of the concentration of a metal ion in a solution. It is the
measurement of the amount of a light energy of a known wavelength
absorbed by the metal atoms vaporised in a flame. The wavelength of the
light to be used is specific for each metal. The measurement is independent
of the ionic form of the metal in the solution.
Auto inflammation temperature Minimum temperature at which a liquid can inflame without additional
energy.
Autolysis Self-digestion process, causing damage to the hide structure due to enzyme
action and occurring if curing is delayed too long after flaying.
Automotive leather Upholstery leather for car seats and other internal parts of the interior
design.
Note: These leathers must meet specific requirements, such as fogging tests.
Auxiliary (synthetic) tannin Synthetic tannin not suitable for use alone as a tanning agent, but designed
for use with vegetable tannins to assist tannage, for instance to accelerate
penetration, or to improve the leather, such as its colour.
Auxochrome group Group, such as –NH2 or –OH, in a coloured organic substance which can
donate electrons; any of certain radicals, which will convert a chromophore
into an acidic or basic dye suitable for use in leather and textile fabrics.
LEATHER TERMS –B
Back (leather) Leather made from the main portion of hide, obtained by cutting off the two
bellies.
Back (of animal) Main portion of hide, obtained by cutting off the two bellies.
Note: In North America a back is a half cattle hide (or side) after the removal of the
head and belly.
Bacteria Bacteria are the smallest organisms that can complete their life cycle
independently. They lack a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles. They may be
autotrophic or hetrotrophic and occur in a wide range of environments. They are
abundant on the remains of dead plants and animals and some cause disease in
other living organisms. Bacteria are also responsible for such process as
fermentation and decomposition.
Bacterial damage Hides and skins damaged and rendered evil-smelling by bacterial damage. See:
Putrefaction.
Bag tannage Mode of tannage, formerly used for Morocco leather, in which the prepared skins
are sewn into bags, grain outwards, filled with a slurry of sumac and some air, tied
at the opening, floated in a sumac liquor for a period and finally removed and piled
upon each other to force the liquor through the skin.
Bagging test Test to evaluate the deformation of the leather. For example, in the area of a
garment or armchair where the leather is subjected to a stretching without
restoring the original form.
Bale Closely pressed package of goods, such as hides or skins, bound together with cord,
wire, plastic hoop, etc., ready for storage or transportation.
Balling up Forming of small balls when a resin finish is applied by padding or brushing. Usually
caused by the presence of buffing dust or to poor mechanical shear of the resin.
See: Pilling.
Band 1. Strip of material, such as leather, used to seal junction parts of machines or
apparatus.
Band damage Caused by metal band used to bale up raw skins for transport.
Barbed wire Wire to which sharp, protruding, wire points are fixed at intervals. Mostly used
around an enclosure.
Bark-tan (v); bark tanning Tannage based mainly upon the tannins contained in the bark of trees, the leather
in process coming in contact with the raw bark.
Base coat Depending on the type of leather the base coat provides the first coat for all
subsequent finishes and top coats. Its purposes are
Base dyeing Dyeing of a leather to a suitable colour before the final dyeing or the application of
a pigmented finish.
Base lacquer First of the lacquer coats applied in the manufacture of patent leather.
Basement membrane Continuous thin film of specialised extracellular material which physically separates
cells from the surrounding connective tissue.
Basic chromium sulphate Salt obtained by treating normal chromium sulphate Cr2(SO4)3, in the form of
chrome alum, with an alkaline substance such as sodium carbonate, or by treating a
suitable mixture of dichromate and sulphuric acid with an organic substance, such
as glucose. The compositions of 33% and 66% basic salts can be represented as Cr2
(OH) 2 (SO4) 2 and Cr2 (OH) 4SO4. Used in chrome tanning.
Basic dyestuff Dyestuff with a dyeing cation, often pasted with acetic acid to assist dissolution.
Basicity Relationship between chromium atoms and the acid radicals (or the basic hydroxyl
groups) in a chromium compound. Usually it is expressed as the percentage ratio
between the number of chromium atoms and the maximum number of -OH which
is possible to associate with them in a compound varying from 0% in the chrome
sulphate to 100% in the chrome hydroxide Cr(OH)3. (Basicity percentage or
Schorlemmer).
Basification Process of rendering a chrome liquor, or other mineral tanning agent, more basic,
either before use or during tannage, by addition of a solution of an alkaline
substance (sodium bicarbonate or carbonate).
Basify (v); basifying To increase the pH of a chromium tanning bath or salt to increase the basicity.
Basil Unsplit pelt, usually of a woolled sheepskin, vegetable tanned. Note: In the UK, this
leather is sometimes called "full sheep".
In Germany the term is not applied to rough tanned sheep leather, but is also used
as a description of origin in the case of the woolled sheepskin.
Batch Number of items forming a group or dealt with together; using or dealt with in
batches, not as a continuous flow.
Bate (v); bating To treat unhaired and limed pelt with a bate.
Beam Convex structure, fixed at an angle to the ground, over which suitably prepared
hides or skins are placed for unhairing, fleshing or scudding.
Beamhouse Section of the tannery where hides or skins are prepared for tanning, which
includes the operations of soaking, unhairing, fleshing and deliming etc.
Beating Process of removing loose salt and foreign matter from a salted hide prior to
weighing by beating, banging or shaking it in an agreed manner.
Note: By beating the hair and flesh sides once on the ground, or by banging it
against a “horse” or “buck” or pack of hides.
See: Tare.
Beaver lamb Sheep or lambskin with short fine wool, which has been dressed with the wool on,
dyed and finished by a process giving a weather-resistant straightness and
brightness to the wool.
See: Shearling.
Bellows hide Curried, flexible and air-proof leather made from split hide.
Belly 1. The part of each side of a sheepskin or cattle hide which cover half the animal’s
underside and the upper parts of the fore and hind legs;
2. The extreme left or right side of a cattle hide removed by cutting along a line
parallel to the backbone line and such a distance from it determined for an
individual hide by noting the change in feel from the denser structure of the crop,
or butt, to the looser structure of the belly (USA). Includes belly middle, axillae or
leg-pits and shanks.
Belly grain Tanned outer (hair or grain) layer split from a belly.
Belly grain Damage caused by irritation by urine and dung, sometimes found
on the bellies and upper thighs of calf skins and shown in the
Belly strain Mechanical damage caused to skins when they are pulled from the carcass. See:
Butcher strain.
Belt filter Filtration of sludge of a suitable consistency which is trapped between two filter
belts and compressed through a system of rollers.
Belt leather Leather used for waist belts as distinct from "transmission belting".
Belting lace Chrome tanned back, about 2.5 mm thick, heavily dressed with natural grease,
suitable for cutting into strips for the purpose of joining transmission belting.
Bend Half of a cattle hide butt, obtained by dividing it along the line of the backbone.
Best Available Technique (BAT) EU Definition: The most effective and advanced stage in the development of
activities and their methods of operation which indicate the practical suitability of
particular techniques. This will provide, in principle, the basis for emission limit
values designed to prevent and, where that is not practicable, to reduce emissions
and the impact on the environment as a whole. It also takes account of economic
considerations.
Binder Material used in finish preparations to achieve film formation and to fix pigments
and other additives on the leather surface.
Binder leather Vegetable tanned or chrome re-tanned butt leather of uniform thickness, dressed
or impregnated to give it heat or abrasion resistance.
Biochemical Oxygen Demand The mass concentration of dissolved oxygen consumed under specified conditions
(BOD) by the biological oxidation of organic and/or inorganic matter in water.
Note: BOD5 is the mass concentration of dissolved oxygen consumed during 5 days.
Biodegradation Molecular degradation of organic matter resulting from the complex action of living
organisms ordinarily in an aqueous medium.
Biomass Total mass of living matter in a given body of water. Activated sludge (unit g/l) is an
example of biomass.
Birch tar oil Oil obtained from the bark of birch trees by dry distillation. Additive in fatliquors
and finishing formulations to cover up offensive odour and to give a pleasant
“leather” smell.
Blackening (of vegetable-tanned Operation of staining or dyeing vegetable tanned leather black.
leather)
Bleach (v); bleaching To deprive of colour in a coloured material, as by exposure to the sun and weather
or chemicals, in such a way as to remove, or lighten to the maximum its colour. To
become colourless, pale or white.
Bleaching agent Compound used in the process of making the colour paler in leather and textile
fibres and fabrics, by treatment with chemicals or exposure to the sun and weather.
Bleaching extract Vegetable tanning extract, usually heavily sulphited and containing additives, such
as acids and water-soluble oils, used for bleaching vegetable tanned leather.
Bleaching tannin Vegetable, or synthetic, tanning agent having the ability to render a leather paler in
colour.
Bleeding Passage of a component in solution from the interior of a solid onto the surface or
onto another solid in contact with it.
Blend (v); blending Mix together and make into a more or less homogenous product various liquids, or
powdered or granulated solids.
Blend (v); blending To apply a dye solution to the hair coat in undyed furskins, to accentuate, level or
slightly modify the natural colour.
Blind grain Grain enamel that has been damaged by bacterial, mechanical or chemical action.
See: Abraded or low grain.
Blind rib Rib pattern which is generally not visible in the raw but becomes apparent, mainly
in the neck and shoulder, when the skin is held up to the light in the limed state.
See: Rib lines.
Blocking marks Occurs when leather is piled finish to finish, flesh to flesh and the finish surface
adheres, causing dull areas or even coats of finish being pulled away when the
leather is separated.
Blood albumen Evaporated and dried blood serum, after removal of fibrin and corpuscles.
Blood vessels Tube through which blood circulates in an animal body. When visible in leather the
cause is usually poor bleeding or staleness, but can be breed related. See: Veins.
Bloom Pale yellow to brown precipitate, consisting mainly of ellagic acid together with
chebulinic acid, formed on the surface of, or within, vegetable tanned leather, or in
a tan-pit when using liquors based upon ellagitannins, such as valonia, divi-divi,
myrabolams, algarobilla, as well as oak bark.
Bloom (finishes) Dullness of the finish or an uneven refraction of light within the film.
Note: Mild fatty spue or interaction between dyes and finish coat.
Bloom-forming tannin Tanning material, or tannin, whose solution forms bloom on standing, (algarobilla,
divi-divi, chestnut wood, myrabolams, oak bark and valonia).
See: Bloom.
Blow fly strike Scar or open wound left on sheepskin by blow fly attack.
Blue scale Method to evaluate changes in the colour of a material, such as leather, due to
natural or artificial light effect. It includes 8 degrees of change (8 = no change, 1 =
total decolouring or change). See: Grey scale.
Blushing White haze causing dulling of the finish caused by the absorption of moisture
because of cooling from rapid evaporation of solvents in the finish.
Board (v); boarding To work the grain side of a leather by hand with a cork-covered board or by a
machine in order to restore and develop the natural grain.
Boarded leather Leather that has been softened and the surface of which has been lightly creased
by folding grain to grain and then working the fold across the leather to and fro by
hand boarding or by means of a boarding machine.
See: Box calf; box side; morocco; willow calf; willow side.
Boil (v); boiling 1. Transition of a substance from the liquid to the gaseous phase, taking place at a
single temperature in pure substances and over a range of temperatures in
mixtures.
Boiling point Temperature at which the tension vapour of the liquid is equal to the external
pressure applied to it.
Bond The way two atoms or groups link themselves. Note: Chelate, co-ordination,
covalent, cystine, disulphide, electrovalent, ester, hydrogen, interchain, ionic, labile,
peptydic.
Bookbinding leather Leather of suitable thickness, durability and lightfastness, made mostly from sheep,
goat, calf, pig and deer skins, usually vegetable tanned, but sometimes, specially in
former times, alum-dressed.
Bottom dyeing Dyeing base, the lowest part, of a leather to a desired colour before the application
of a pigment finish or in final stage of dyeing.
Bound lipid Lipid chemically combined with protein matter of the skin.
Bound water Water held in a material by forces, as hydrogen bonds between it and polar groups.
Bovine leather Leather made from bovine animals such as ox, heifer, cow, steer, zebu, etc.
Bovine Spongiform Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy is a newly (1986) diagnosed disease of cattle
Encephalopathy (BSE) that has evolved rapidly into one of the major veterinary - and human - medicine
problems of the past few decades. It is included in the group of Transmissible
Spongiform Encephalopathies (T.S.E’s).
T.S.E.’s are a class of rare brain diseases associated with the accumulation of
abnormal proteins (Prion’s Theory) in the brains of man and animals. They are
characterised by very slow development and the diseases are always fatal. The
most common disease of this type is sheep scrapie ( first reported in 1732), the
most publicised is BSE or “Mad Cow” disease (1986).
Since March 1996 BSE is related to the new variant of Creutzfeld - Jacob disease
(CJD), a new degenerative fatal disease.
Box calf Full chrome tanned calf leather, black or coloured, smooth or boarded.
Note: In the UK it must be black. When it is in other colours, see willow calf.
Box side Full chrome or combination tanned leather made from cattle hide sides, black or
coloured, smooth or boarded.
In the UK any tannage may be used but the leather must be black. When it is in
other colours, see willow side.
Brand Identification mark on the hide or skin of the animal which damages the grain.
Applied by hot iron or chemical or freeze branding.
Break Pattern of more or less fine creases formed when certain leathers, for example, box
calf, are bent, grain inwards.
Breaking load Force required to break a material of a specified size and shape under specific
conditions, for example, leather.
Bridge Chemical bond that links two different parts of a compound or polymer chain. Note:
Cystine, ester, oxo.
Bridging Link between two molecules or groups with a group or an atom. Note: Hydrogen
bridge, disulphide bridge in keratin, methylene bridge, etc.
Bridle leather Strong, flexible type of harness leather, made from ox or cow hide, vegetable
tanned and curried, of reasonably uniform thickness with a plain finish and a close
shaved flesh.
Brightening dye Selected anionic dye which is added to the pigment base coat finish or to top coat
preparations in order to enhance brilliance or the aniline effect.
Brightness-dullness value Measure between the amounts of incident white light reflected and scattered, and
that absorbed by a coloured material.
Brilliance Ability of a finished leather surface to scatter and/or to reflect a high proportion of
the incident light.
Brine conditioning Effective control of the brining operation, ensuring solution remains saturated,
clean, grease-free and free from micro-organism.
Brined hide Hide cured by immersion in a saturated salt solution, drained and sometimes
salted-down with solid salt.
Bronze (v); bronzing Unwanted metallic sheen or lustre often associated with build up of basic dyestuff
on the surface of the leather. Can also occur with poorer quality inorganic
pigments.
Bruise (v); bruising Crowding or bumping of the animals or the use of a whip or club can cause a
haemorrhage in the skin and underlying tissue. Although difficult to see from the
grain side because of the hair, bruises can be visible from the flesh due to excess
blood in the affected area. This can quickly putrefy and become a blemish or weak
spot.
Brush (v); brushing Leather is passed between rotating, stiff brushes to bring up the nap or to remove
any surplus dust caused by buffing.
Hand brushes or brushing machines are also used for the application of
finishes for splits or coarse-fibred leather.
Brush dyeing Dyeing of the hairs of a furskin by applying a dye solution with a brush.
Brush marks Pattern of the brush used for applying a finish. May be caused by using finishing
systems that “set up” too rapidly or by using coarse grade applicators.
Brush mordanting Application of a mordant solution to the top hair of a furskin, rather than the
underfur, by means of a brush.
Brush off Special effect, giving contrasting colours. The top coat of the finish is partially
removed to reveal the underlying, contrasting colour.
Bubble (v); bubbling Air trapped in the surface finish of the leather, either as intact or broken bubbles,
giving an uneven appearance to the film.
Bubble diffuser Aeration system by blowing compressed air into the liquid mass at depths varying
from 1 to 10 metres.
Buckskin Suede leather made from deer skin from which the grain has been removed, usually
by frizing. It is generally tanned with fish oil or aldehyde or a combination of both
and may be finished on the flesh or the frized grain side.
Buff (v); buffing Abrade or grind a leather surface, especially the grain surface, by a moving band of
abrasive paper or cloth.
Buffed leather Leather from which the top surface of the grain has been removed by an abrasive
or bladed cylinder or, less generally, by hand.
Note: In the case of upholstery leather the buffing process is invariably carried out
by the machine though it is sometimes incorrectly described as "hand buffed". See:
Corrected grain; buff (v); buffing.
Buffer Solution prepared to reduce and resist changes in pH (in the concentration of H3O+).
Buffing depth Regulation of the depth of buffing to achieve the desired effect on the finished
leather.
Buffing ground Special grounding agents, such as mucilages or synthetic resin dispersions, to
improve the buffing properties of leather, especially for corrected grain leather.
Burns Acid or alkali burns usually caused by lack of movement in the process vessel with a
concentration of the chemical damaging the grain. Also high temperatures causing
gelatinisation. Machinery can cause friction burns.
See: Glazing.
Burrs Burrs, seeds and prickles from plants caught in the wool of sheep. These can
penetrate the grain causing permanent damage.
Butcher strain Mechanical damage caused to skins when they are pulled from the carcass. See:
Belly strain.
Butt Leather from that part of the hide left after removal of the bellies and shoulders.
LEATHER TERMS–C
C.I.E. triangle (thrichromatic diagram) C.I.E. trichromatic components, which represent the sensitivity of the eye to red,
green and blue and defined the colorimetric reference observer.
C.I.E.L.A.B. co-ordinates system CIELAB colour space is a system to represent the tristimulus values in which
there is a plane (A-B) with the bright colours and a perpendicular axis (L) on
which white-black is represented.
Calfskin Skin from a young bovine animal not exceeding a certain weight, which varies
from country to country.
Canaigre Plant growing in Mexico and California, whose tuberous roots contain 18% to
43% tannin.
Cape leather Originally a soft, grain gloving or clothing leather made from South African hair
sheepskin; now any similar leather made from hair sheepskin, but not finished
leather made from East Indian native vegetable tanned hair sheepskin.
Carbon dioxide A heavy, colourless, odourless gas, present in the atmosphere or formed by the
burning of fuels. Carbon dioxide is also exhaled by animals and used by plants in
photosynthesis. It is also produced during biomethanation.
Carding leather Butt leather, vegetable (originally, oak bark) tanned, lightly curried and fairly
flexible, for holding the steel wires that form the periphery of the cylinders on
the carding machines used in the woollen industry.
Carpincho Grain gloving leather with a grain pattern somewhat like that of peccary, made
from the skin of a water rodent indigenous to Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil.
Case hardening Outer surfaces of the hide or skin are tanned too rapidly thus preventing the tan
liquor reaching the interior of the skin. Excessive build up of tanning agent on
the surface leads to hardening and even eventual cracking of the grain.
Casein Protein obtained from skimmed milk by precipitation with hydrochloric acid and
used in finishes. Dried casein is available in a great number of commercial
products having different viscosities depending on their application and
composition.
Catechol tannin Tannin presumed to contain a catechol nucleus because it gives a green colour
with a ferric salt or yields fragments with a catechol nucleus on alkaline fusion.
Cationic dyestuff Ion, molecule or radical from a dyestuff with a positive charge.
Cationic fatliquor Ion, molecule or radical from a fatliquor (oil globules) with a positive charge.
Cationic resin Ion, molecule or radical from a resin (organic substance) with a positive charge.
Cationic soap Ion, molecule or radical from a cleansing substance with a positive charge.
Cationic surfactant Ion, molecule or radical from a surfactant with a positive charge.
Cauliflower effect Loss of substance during wet processing due to vertical fibre effect, leads to a
“cauliflower” like pattern on the flesh side.
Cellulose aceto butyrate lacquer Film-forming product in finishes, abbreviated CAB. Good stability to yellowing on
exposure to light and heat. Excellent fastness to migration and resistance to free
amines of polyurethane foams.
Chain Chain of molecules bound to each other to form a new chain. For example, a
chain of amino acids to form a protein or a chain of monomers to form a
polymer.
Chamois Leather made from the flesh of sheep or lambskin, or from sheep or lambskin
from which the grain has been removed by frizing, and tanned by processes
involving the oxidation of fish or marine animal oils in the skin, using either solely
such oils (full oil chamois) or firstly, aldehyde and then such oils (combination
chamois).
Note: France and the USA restrict the term "chamois", without any qualification,
to the flesh split of sheepskin tanned solely with oils.
In Italy and Switzerland this leather is incorrectly termed "pelle di daino" and
"Hirschleder" respectively.
Chatter marks Ridges in leather caused by fleshing, shaving or splitting machines where the
cylinders are worn, poorly balanced or the bearings on the grinders may be
worn. “Wire edges” on the cylinder will also cause chatter marks.
Chemical coagulation Destabilisation of colloidal particles brought about by the addition of a chemical
reagent known as a coagulant.
Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) Analytical determination of the amount of oxygen chemically consumed by the
oxidation of the organic or oxidisable inorganic matter in an effluent. Potassium
dichromate is used as oxidant.
Chilling Hides chilled down immediately after flaying to between 8 °C and 10 °C can be
stored over a week, as is done today in some areas for fresh hide processing.
This chilling can be successfully achieved by distribution of shredded ice on the
flesh side of the hides and storage in boxes. Dipping or spraying with chilled
fresh water also can be used, and is also in current practice.
Cholesterol Sterol produced by all vertebrate cells, particularly in the liver, skin and intestine.
It is a component of the animal fatty materials.
Chromatic triangle Triangular diagram with the three primary radiations (red, blue, green) placed at
the corners. Mixing the primary colours, in varying proportions, it could produce
all the colours.
Chromatography Method of separating and analysing mixtures of chemical substances. Note: Gel
permeation, thin layer, ion-exchange, two-dimensional, absorption, ascending,
column, descending, liquid, paper, partition. See: High Performance Liquid
Chromatography (HPLC)
Chrome (v); chroming Treat hides and skins with chrome liquor for tanning.
Chrome complex dyestuff Anionic dyestuff containing metal chrome complexes, type 1:1 or 1:2.
Chrome complex, (chromium) Complex formed by the co-ordination of various ligands to one or more Cr+++
(cationic, anionic, neutral) ions, which may have a net positive (cationic), negative (anionic) or zero
(neutral) charge.
Chrome leather Leather tanned either solely with chromium salts or with chromium salts
together with quite small amounts of some other tanning agent used merely to
assist the chrome tanning process, and not in sufficient amount to alter the
essential chrome-tanned character of the leather.
Chrome liquor Basic chromium sulphate liquor prepared by reduction of a dichromate by
glucose in the presence of sulphuric acid.
Chrome oxide Dark green, amorphous powder, forming hexagonal crystals on heating that are
insoluble in water or acids; used as a pigment to colour wares and as a catalyst.
Also known as chrome green.
Chrome retanned leather Second tannage treatment of a leather tanned with chrome tanning salt, and
then with other tanning materials.
Chrome stain Irregular shaped darker coloured area on chrome leather, seen after tannage,
due to increased deposition of chromium compounds, often related to too rapid
basification.
Chrome tanning Chrome tanning using a single solution of a basic trivalent chromium salt, usually
primarily the sulphate.
Chrome tanning salt, (liquid; powder) Commercial preparation of basic chromium sulphate, of a certain basicity,
containing more or less of neutral salts; in the liquid, or powder, form.
Chrome-alum liquor Basic chromium sulphate liquor prepared from chrome alum by addition of an
alkaline substance, usually sodium carbonate.
Chromium Metallic chemical element, symbol Cr, atomic number 24, atomic weight 51,996.
Chromophoric group Group of atoms, such as –N=N-, -C=C-, =C=O, -N=O, in an organic substance
which, when present in suitable structural positions, and in sufficient numbers,
enables electron displacement to occur along the group or groups, and gives rise
to colour.
Clarifier Settling tank which allows activated sludge to be separated from purified water.
Clariflocculator Device in which the floc is settled. The floc is obtained by agglomeration of
destabilised particles into microfloc and later in bulky flocules.
Classification (for chemicals) European classification of chemical substances or preparations explaining the
risk associated with their use.
Claws Pointed, horny nails or protrusions, from the feet of certain animals and birds.
Clean (v); cleaning Removing dirt, spots and impurities from the surface of a material. It may be
performed dry and/or wet. For example, by solvent.
Clear (v); clearing Cleanse the leather grain surface from grease, etc., prior to seasoning by rubbing
over with a solution of ammonia or lactic acid.
Clear lacquer Pigment-free transparent lacquer used in finishes, especially as top coating
agent.
Clone (v); cloning Create genetically identical copies of a population of organisms derived originally
from a single individual. To clone an animal or a plant means to propagate or
produce it as a clone, for example create genetically identical copies.
A clone is an animal or plant that has been produced artificially from the cells of
another animal or plant, and is identical to the original one.
Clothing leather Soft, flexible, non-stretchy, grain or suede leather of a thickness suitable for
clothing. It may be made from full substance, or split, hides or skins and tanned
in various ways. Note: It should be fast to light, perspiration and wet and dry
rubbing and be capable of being washed or dry cleaned.
Clumping Aggregation of small particles into larger ones, as a thick cluster, difficult to
break up. This process occurs if an aqueous solution is added to a powder
pigment instead of stirring the powder into the solution.
Coagulant Soluble substance which under certain conditions, such as rise of temperature,
pH alteration or chemical action, forms a semi-solid or jelly-like insoluble
precipitate, which can carry along fine suspended solids.
Coagulate (v); coagulating Cause a substance in solution to separate out as large particles, or to change to
an insoluble form and separate from solution as large aggregates.
Coagulation (of finishing products) Finishing products are often susceptible to extreme temperatures. Frost will
cause aqueous-based finishes and especially thermoplastic binders to coagulate
irreversibly. Heat will cause irreversible coagulation of albumens and globulins.
Coagulation-flocculation Process of injecting one or more chemical products with the objective of
destabilising dispersed colloidal matter, aggregating it and then agglomerating it
into large separable particles.
Coarse grain Grain surface that is somewhat rough, due to the nature of the pelt and the
method of treatment during tannage etc., and in which the hair or wool follicles
are large, forming a prominent pattern.
Coarse woolled Sheep having long, strong, coarse fibre wool especially suitable for carpet
manufacture, such as various large mutton breeds of English origin.
Coarse-pored leather Leather whose grain shows large pores which can be improved by buffing.
Coat (v); coating Application of liquid system, such as a dye solution, or a pigmented finish, to a
material such as leather.
Cockle (Keds) Defect on sheepskins (rib cockle), first recognisable after unhairing and
appearing on the grain surface as small, firm nodules, usually over the butt, in
lines running at right angles to the backbone towards the flanks. It is due to
infestation by keds. Scatter or spread cockle is more diffusely spread over the
skin and has been linked to lice.
Coconut oil Oil from the kernels of the fruit of the coconut palm.
Coil Continuous length of material in a spiral shape like the thread of a screw. For
example, collagen helix.
Cold crack Possible damage to a finish film when the leather is flexed at low temperatures.
Shoe uppers, therefore, need cold crack stability.
Cold stuffing Introduction of a mixture of oils, fats and waxes into damp leather at room
temperature by hand, drumming or impregnation.
Cold sweating Process of loosening the hair or wool of hides or skins by keeping them damp
and cool (up to about 12 °C) so that bacteria develop and attack the hair roots
and lower epidermal layer.
Cold-stable Oil which does not deposit solid fatty matter on cooling to a specified
temperature.
Collagen Protein comprising the white fibres of vertebrate connective tissue, such as the
dermis of skin, the matrix of bones and the dentine of teeth. Collagen is the
leather making protein of the hide. Collagen in the hide or skin is perfectly
structured to act as a protective covering for all animals and these same features
are ideally suited for additional processing as an accessory for man (1997 IULTCS
Congress, London).
Dermis, the leather giving layer of the hide or skin, after the removal of
epidermis, hair and flesh layer, is almost entirely collagen. In the animal
kingdom, this bio-polymer is unique in its amino acid composition, structural
diversity and physical properties.
The basic structure of the collagen molecule is simple. The key to its ubiquitous
presence is the ability of nature to modify this simple structure so that the
biological diversity of the collagenous structures and their functions are
unequalled by any other protein.
The fibres of the leather giving layer dermis are copolymers of the major type I -
fibrous collagen, together with minor amounts of collagen types III (fibrous), V
(fibrous), VI (filamentous), and possibly XII (fibril associated collagen).
Collagenase Enzyme which hydrolyses collagen, a substance that accounts for 75% of the dry
weight of skin tissue.
Colloidal suspension Describes particles - often electrically charged - which are dispersed in a fluid but
fail to settle naturally. This term is also used for fine suspended solids which
settle only with considerable difficulty. They can be removed by coagulation -
flocculation.
Colophony Yellowish, glassy resin obtained as a residue from the distillation of turpentine,
an exudation from certain pine trees.
Colour (v); colouring Apply or give colour to a material, as by dyeing, painting or staining.
Colour base Insoluble organic substance which, when dissolved in acid, gives a dyeing cation.
Colour change Alteration in the colour of a coloured material produced by chemical treatment,
alteration of pH, light, etc.
Colour circle Circle designed to exhibit the proportion of primary colour in any shade of
colour.
Colour levelness Visible evenness of the coloured surface of a dyed or finished leather.
Colour shop Place (zone, area, or department) where colour recipes are prepared.
Colour sorting Classification of dyed skins with similar colour for making a leather garment.
Colour stripping Lose the colour from a material, by chemical treatment or sunlight effect.
Colour triangle Triangular diagram showing the three primary colours (red, green, blue) placed
at the corners. Mixture of any two primaries will be found in the line joining the
corners, and the centre of the triangle will, theoretically, be black..
Combination chamois Chamois tanned by using aldehyde prior to fish or marine animal oils.
Combination oil tannage Tannage in which the skin is treated with any suitable aldehyde, and then with
an oxidisable marine mammal or fish oil.
Combination tannage Tannage with two or more tanning agents of different types, usually applied
separately in succession.
Combing leather Strong, resilient, curried butt leather, free from permanent stretch, made into
endless belts and used on machines for combing wool. It is chrome tanned
(green) or combination tanned (brown).
Comets/spots If pigment finishes are insufficiently mixed or filtered, a small spot of solid
pigment can cause a streak under a plating, polishing or glazing machine.
Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union.
Compacting container Skip equipped with a press in order to reduce the volume of solid waste it
contains by increasing its density.
Compactness Property of a leather with an internal structure of closely packed leather fibres.
Complementary colour Either of a pair of spectrum colours which when combined give a sensation of
white or nearly white light. One of two pigments whose mixture produces a third
colour, as blue and yellow blended to produce green.
Compost Soil amendment obtained from the biological aerobic treatment of waste
containing organic matter. During the biological treatment, the temperature
naturally rises up to 60 °C, followed by a period of maturation, which stabilises
the material. Before use, it usually has to be sieved.
See: Composting.
Compost heap Composting technique in which waste is disposed in heap that is turned over to
improve aeration.
Compost (v); composting Production of compost by breaking down the organic matter contained in sludge
or organic waste.
See: Compost.
Condensation tannage Resin tannage in which insoluble high-molecular compounds are formed within
the leather by inter-condensation of previously introduced methylol compounds
of nitrogenous bases, such as urea, melamine, etc.
Condensed tannin Tannin of the class which, in contrast to the tannins of the hydrolysable class,
cannot be split into simple units by enzymes or dilute acids, its molecule being
composed of polyphenol units joined by carbon-to-carbon linkages or carbon
chains.
Condition (v); conditioning After drying, the leather may be hard and of uneven moisture content. Moisture
is re-introduced into the leather to a level that is suitable for subsequent
mechanical actions such as staking or milling.
The term is also used for bringing leather into equilibrium in a standard
atmosphere before physical leather testing. Note: Test methods, IUP 3.
Conditioning plant Plant able to keep pre-arranged conditions in a room or cabinet. Note: Humidity
and temperature.
Connective tissue Type of mammalian tissue, composed essentially of collagen, elastin and reticulin
fibres, together with various types of cells, blood vessels, nerves, ground
substance, etc., forming the dermis, areolar tissue, tendons, bones, walls of most
organs, etc.
Control guard Guard associated with an interlocking device (with or without guard locking) so
that :
- the hazardous part of the machine function is covered by the guard and cannot
operate until the guard is closed
- closing the guard initiates operation of the hazardous part of the machine
function(s).
Conveyor Mostly used as endless conveyor band to transport hides and skins or leather to
or from a machine. In finishing, the conveyor band carries the flat leather
through the spraying machines beneath the spray guns.
Cool (v); cooling Become or make cool, or cooling an object or a physico-chemical system by heat
transfer to other cooler objects or systems.
Note: In Holland leather sold as "cordovan leather" is not necessarily made from
horse hide.
Corium Corium or dermis is the central layer of the hide or skin remaining after the
removal of epidermis, hair and flesh (flesh side), and which is converted into
leather. This layer amounts to approximately 95% to 98% of the total thickness
of a hide or skin.
The dermis consists of an upper papillary zone (layer papillary) adjacent to the
epidermis, and a lower reticular zone (layer reticular) which blends with the
underlying adipose layer. Although no sharp line of demarcation is usually found
between the zones, the boundary defined by the lowest hair or wool roots may
be taken as the dividing line between the papillary and reticular zones. The
papillary dermis is commonly referred to as the grain layer (also known as
thermostatic layer), and the reticular dermis as the corium proper. The reticular
dermis is the main layer of the hide or skin. This layer is composed mainly of
interwoven collagen fibres arranged in well defined bundles.
The fibre bundles of the reticular dermis or ‘corium proper’ are relatively much
larger than those of the grain. The structure of the reticular dermis which also
varies with the species, age and sex of the animal is responsible for many of the
characteristics of leather.
Corrected grain Leather which has had the outer surface of the grain removed by an emery
wheel to delete or “correct” blemishes. Also known as snuffed grain.
Cortex Main structural component of hair and wool, covered by the scaly cuticle and
consisting of cigar-shaped cells, arranged parallel to each other.
Counter Stiffener or reinforcement in the back part of the shoe to retain shoe shape and
offer stability and support to the heel of the foot. The counter may range from
soft to rigid. It can be premoulded or flat and then moulded to the last by
pressure.
Couple (v); coupling Join by means of the azo group (-N=N-), the aromatic nuclei from two or more
organic compounds.
Coupling dyestuff Dyestuff which can be formed within a fibre by diazotisation treatment.
Cover Poor covering of defects or colour irregularities on the leather surface. The cause
can be type of pigment, colour of the leather, pigment to binder ratio and
excessive penetration of the base coats. Poor cover of full grain leather may be
due to damaged grain enamel, abraded grain, etc.
Covering power Ability of pigments in the finish coat to cover irregularities on the surface of a
leather.
Crack Break appearing on the surface when a leather is under the strain of lasting,
bending or pulling.
Cracky grain Grain layer which breaks when the leather is pulled or bent. Grain crack could be
caused by many factors such as chemical damage, poor lubrication, excessive
tannage in the grain, etc.
Cream (v); creaming Form a concentrated layer (thick oily, light-yellow substance) in a fatliquor, when
the fatty globules rise to the surface.
Crease Undesired fold marks in leather caused by improper handling during mechanical
processes in leather manufacturing.
Crinkled patent Soft patent leather with a creased or crumpled appearance produced
mechanically after the patent finish has been applied and dried.
Crock (v); crocking Leather which is not colour fast when rubbed with a white cloth, wet or dry, is
said to “crock”. The colour transfer may be due to loose dye and/or loose dust.
Crop (v); cropping Cut the bellies from sole leather hides or sides after tanning in the layer vats.
Cross coat Coating formed by two successive applications of a liquid preparation at right-
angles to each other. The term is usually applied to hand spraying.
Cross-breeding To breed between two varieties of breeds of the same species. Breed crosses are
very common; wool and mutton type sheep, Zebu or Brahman cattle with
European breeds, Criollo with Shorthorn, Angus with Hereford, Shorthorn x
Angus x Hereford, etc.
The objectives of cross breeding seldom coincide with the need of the tanner for
quality hides. Since its start, the main use of cross breeding has been the
production of a commercial, more lucrative livestock.
Crosslinking reaction Process of joining free polymer chains with each other by side linkages to form a
two or three dimensional network.
Crust (dyed) leather Dyed leather dried out directly after postanning process.
Crust leather Leather which, after tanning, has not been further processed but has been
merely dried out.
Note:
In France the term "en croûte" is applied to any kind of hide or skin, such as
"mouton en croûte, veau en croûte", and to any part of a hide, such as “collet en
croûte, croûte en croûte”.
In the UK the term "crust" is used in connection chiefly with skins such as sheep,
whilst the term "rough tanned" is similarly employed in connection with cattle
hide leather.
In Italy, the term is also used for dyed and dried leather.
Culata Italian and Austrian term for the rear part of a bovine hide, comprising the butt,
the belly middles and the hind shanks (see figures J and K on the ‘International
Glossary of Leather Terms - Schema’). French term for a more or less wide un-
squared rear section of a cattle hide butt including the tail piece.
Cure (v); curing Curing essentially consists of bringing about varying degrees of dehydration of
the hide or skin either by simple drying or by salting; the curing salt itself acting
as an additional inhibitor of putrefaction. As the percentage of hides put into
work by the tanner within 24 hours of flaying is very small, the great majority of
hides have to be preserved or ‘cured’ for transport and storage.
Cured weight Weight of a hide or skin after curing by treatment with sodium chloride (wet-
salting, brining) or other chemical or natural curative agent or process.
Curing salt Common salt of appropriate composition and grain size for salting hides and
skins. May contain denaturants or additives to improve its preservative
properties.
Curried leather Leather, usually vegetable tanned, which has been subject to the currying
process, that is a series of dressing and finishing processes applied to leather
after tanning, in the course of which appropriate amounts of oils and greases are
incorporated in the leather to give it increased tensile strength, flexibility and
water-resisting properties.
Curtain coating Application of a liquid finish from a supply tank, in the form of a long, thin film,
onto the leather surface as it passes on a conveyor through the curtain coating
machine. Unspent float flows back into the supply tank and is continuously
recirculated.
2. Cut produced by the knife on the flesh side of the hide due to bad flaying.
Cuticle The hairs of most animals are of two types, primary and secondary. The primary
hairs are the more numerous and are made up of three concentric cylinders, the
medulla, an inner region of large columnar cells surrounded by a cylinder of
smaller, spindle-shaped cells (the cortex), the whole being contained in the
cuticle, a very thin layer of flat overlapping cells.
Cylinder plating Continuous through-feed cylinder plating machine with the desired plating effect
and film forming influenced by temperature and time of contact with the plating
surface, as well as by pressure.
LEATHER TERMS –B
Damp stuffing Introduction of more or less liquid grease into damp leather by
hand and/or drumming.
Dedust (v); dedusting Remove dust from the surface of leather which is produced when
leather is buffed. See: Air blast; brush (v); brushing
Degree of brightness Proportion of the luminous intensity of the incident white light,
which is reflected and scattered by coloured material, in any
surface in a given direction, per unit of projected area for the
surface as viewed in that direction.
Degree of penetration Depth to which chemicals such as dyestuff, fat, resin, etc.
penetrate into the leather.
Degree of plumping Extent to which a hide or skin has been rendered resistant to
compression through entry of water into its fibres under osmotic
forces.
Degree of sulphation Proportion to which –O-SO3H groups are introduced into the fatty
matter by a chemical reaction (sulphation) of an animal or
vegetable oil. Measured by the content of organically combined
SO3 .
Degree of swelling Measure of the degree to which a protein is swollen by the uptake
of water, expressed, for example, as percentage increase in
weight.
Delayed salting Salting which has been delayed for so long a period after flaying
that damage may have been caused through putrefaction, etc.
Delime (v); deliming Removal of lime from, or the reduction of pH of, hides and skins
by washing or treatment with acid or acidic salts.
Deliming power Ability of an agent to neutralise the lime of pelts introduced into
it.
Demanure (v); demanuring To free hides from manure (the excrement of an animal) or dung,
some fleshing machines have a demanuring cylinder for
mechanical demanuring before pre-fleshing. However, application
of strong mechanical forces on manure of flesh flayed, unsoaked
hides will damage the hide structure in the grain; therefore
thorough soaking and softening of the ‘manure balls’ before
mechanical demanuring is indispensable. Processes for chemical
or biotechnological demanuring with the help of nonionic and
sulphated anionic detergents or mixtures of enzymes (cellulose,
xylanases etc.) have been also developed (dung enzymatic
removal). Nevertheless, to this day, many hides coming from
‘modern’ farms using intense farming techniques are a real
problem to the tanner, in terms of quality of the finished leather
grain surface, processing problems (damage in pre-fleshing) and
extra environmental loading.
Demodectic mange Damage to cattle, calf, goat and hair sheepskins involving loss of
hair, numerous pimple-like elevations on the surface and
considerable underlying destruction. Due to demodex or follicular
mites which enter the skin through the hair follicles and migrate
and encyst deeper into the skin.
Denatured protein Native protein modified especially by heat, shaking, acid, alkali,
ultra violet radiation, detergents, etc., leading to an alteration of
physical properties such as solubility and specific activity.
Depickle (v); depickling Neutralise the acid in pickled pelts (raise the pH towards the
isoelectric point of collagen) by treating them with chalk, borax,
etc., in a saline bath.
See: Dermis.
Dermatan sulphate (DS) Extremely acidic (bio-) polymer; side chains with a very high
charge density containing both sulphate and carboxyl groups, all
fully ionised at physiological pH 7,4.
Dermatitis General term for irritations of the skin which cause the animal to
rub or scratch. Can be caused by parasitic infestations (such as
mycotic and dermatitis) or chemical sprays.
Dermis The mesodermic layer of the skin made up of the papillary dermis,
or grain layer, and the reticular dermis, or corium layer.
Detan (v); detanning Removal of more or less of the tanning agent from leather.
Dewool (v); dewoolling Removal of previously loosened wool from woolled sheepskin.
Dewoolling knife Double-handled, concave, blunt scraper for removing the wool
from sweated or painted sheepskins.
Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) Technique for measurement of, and comparison (differential) of,
process heats (reaction, absorption, hydrolysis, etc.) for a
specimen and a reference material.
Dip dyeing Process of dyeing in which the skins, usually paired flesh to flesh,
are repeatedly dipped into and removed from the dye liquor,
contained in a trough.
Diphenyl-methane dyestuff Dyestuff based upon (C6H5)2 CH2. Its origin is diphenylamine, a
crystalline aromatic amine obtained by heating aniline
hydrochloride with aniline, used as a stabiliser and in the
manufacture of dyestuffs.
Discolour (v); discolouring Become stained, faded, spoiled, or change colour of a surface.
Dispersing agent Material which, in solution, has the power to bring a powdered
solid into a state of suspension and maintain it in that state.
Dissolved oxygen (DO) Dissolved oxygen is the parameter measuring the quantity of
oxygen (O2) dissolved in water. It is a major parameter for
biological treatments.
3. In the shoe trade, a suede leather made from deer skin. The
term is almost synonymous with buckskin.
Dollar break Usually following the dry drumming (milling) process, unattractive
islands of uncreased grain are left, roughly the size of an American
dollar piece. Can be caused by too compact grain, uneven opening
of the fibres, uneven fatliquor or constant flexing along lines of
weakness such as blood vessels.
Domestic market The opportunity to buy or sell in one’s own country. Pertaining to
one’s own country or nation.
Double beam spectrophotometer Instrument that uses a photoelectric circuit to measure the
difference in absorption when two closely related wavelengths of
light are passed through the same medium.
Double hiding Separation of the grain and corium layer. Can be caused by
excessive fat cells between the two layers, as in merino sheep.
Insufficient pickling can cause a lack of tannage in the centre of
the hides which then gelatinise when the heat at the end of the
tannage exceeds the shrinkage temperature of the untanned
collagen.
Drain (v); draining Set aside wet hides and skins in process, so that free liquor
escapes.
Drawn grain Wrinkled grain layer caused by the corium contracting during the
tannage more than the grain layer, which therefore seems to be
“drawn up”. Can be caused by excessive agitation in the process
vessel or chemically. See: Pebbled grain.
Inclusive term for all the various operations carried out on any
type of rough-tanned, tawed leather or furskin to render it fit for
use and saleable; includes currying and finishing .
Drum (v); drumming Operation of a drum used in the leather processing industry.
Drum liming Liming of hides, or skins, in a rotating drum.
Drum stuffing Process for the introduction of grease in the molten state into
damp leather, using a drum, which can be heated by hot air.
Drum tanning Tanning hides and skins in a rotating drum specially designed for
this purpose.
Dry (v); drying Evaporate water from leather after completing the wet processes
in leather manufacturing. Different drying methods are used to
prepare the leather for the subsequent finishing processes.
Dry chrome bend Flexible chrome tanned sole leather bend which has not been
impregnated with wax, grease or similar agent.
Dry salted Cure by first treating with salt, either by application of solid salt to
the flesh side or by steeping in brine and then drying. Hides cured
by this method are generally salted in pile to effect an initial cure
and then dried out either by spreading on the ground, hanging
over a pole, or by suspension, preferably in the shade.
Dry salted weight Weight of wet salted hides after air drying to 15% to 20%
moisture.
Dry solid content Defines the percentage of dry solids contained in sludge or more
generally of a solid waste compared to raw material.
Dry splitting Operation of cutting a dried hide or skin, horizontally into two or
more layers, grain and flesh layers.
Dry tannage Drum tannage carried out on wet material with little or no float,
the tanning agent being added in powder or concentrated liquid
form.
Dry wheeling Mechanical process generally suitable for soft leather, chamois
and woolskins. The skins are passed across a rotating wheel which
is coated with glue and dusted with the appropriate grade of
carborundum or other suitable abrasive.
Dry-brined hide Hide which has been cured by a short immersion in a brine
solution and then dried out.
Drying chamber Heated and ventilated chamber in which the leather remains
stationary until dry.
Drying oil Fatty oil which forms a hard film when a thin layer is exposed to
air.
Drying tunnel Drying in tunnels with supply of circulated hot air. Quick drying
method by a throughfeed system with or without separate
temperature zone sectors.
Dye bath Bath or liquor, in which a material is dyed, that contains dye,
dyeing auxiliaries, and chemicals.
Dye fixing agent Substance to increase the fastness of the dye material.
Dyeing power Ability to dye a material with a colour, which is intense in relation
to the amount of the dye used.
Dyestuff ion Ion, molecule or radical of a dyestuff which is responsible for its
dyeing ability.
Ear tags Small plastic labels attached by one end to the ear of an animal
indicating ownership, origin, etc., and serving as an identifying mark that
enables producers to identify cattle individually without the hide
damage caused by fire (iron) and freeze branding. Bar code-carrying ear
tags when used as ‘tracers’ may allow the linkage of slaughter data with
those of the farm and promote hide improvement.
Easy-care finish Type of finish which is particularly resistant to oil, grease and soiling, wet
and dry rubbing and to solvents and detergents.
Eco label Labels for a product which fulfils a set of requirements regarding the
protection of the environment.
Effluent (untreated raw) Wastewater as it is generated from the process without any treatment
(clean technology may be included).
Effluent receiving sump Small tank for the collection of wastewater before treatment. It is
equipped with pump to feed the effluent treatment plant.
Effluent treatment plant Plant in which wastewater is subjected to a process in order to remove
polluting substances.
Egg albumen Commercial product in dried powder form obtained from the white of
chickens eggs and used in binder preparations for glazed finishes.
Egg yolk Yolk of hens eggs, used in tawing and fatliquoring on account of its
content of emulsifiers and lubricating oils.
Elastic tissue Connective tissue of the kind that occurs in the dermis and the walls of
arteries, chiefly elastic fibres composed mainly of elastin, a protein
similar to collagen and occurring in networks or sheets in elastic tissue
to which it imparts elasticity.
Elasticity Property whereby a material changes its shape and size under the action
of opposite forces but recovers its original configuration when the forces
are removed.
Electrified fence Barrier made of metal wire which is insulated from, and fixed to, posts
and through which a high tension, low ampere intermittent current is
induced.
Electron Capture Detector Gas Chromatography Chromatography providing for an extremely sensitive gas
chromatography detector (ECD = Electron Capture Detector) at high
(GC-ECD) specificity for chlorinated compounds.
Electronic nose Electronic early detector of the odours of putrefaction with multiple
electronic sensors in place of human olfactory receptors. The electronic
nose mimics the human sense but with greater selectivity, and detects
some of the initial breakdown products during putrefaction early
enough to prevent the decay and the high financial losses generated.
Electro-osmotic tanning Process proposed for accelerating the vegetable tanning process by
suspending the hides in the liquor between two electrodes, separated
by permeable diaphragms.
Electrostatic swelling Uptake of water by, and the swelling of, a protein, attributed to
alteration of the electric charges through combination with hydrogen or
hydroxyl ions and consequently repulsion of groups with similar charges.
Emboss (v); embossing Create a raised design upon a leather by pressure from a heated
engraved plate or roller.
Embossed leather Leather embossed or printed with a raised pattern either imitating or
resembling the grain pattern of some animal, or being quite unrelated to
a natural grain pattern.
Emery wheel A wheel dressed with, or made of, emery or carborundum and used on
the flesh side of leather to cleanse it or give it a fine nap.
Emulsify (v); emulsifying Form an emulsion, dispersing one liquid throughout another liquid in the
form of little drops.
Enamel Uppermost layer of a hide or skin exposed by the removal of the hair or
wool and epidermis. The enamel appears as a translucent layer and
gives the special properties of smoothness and polish to the grain
surface. Any damage to this surface layer reveals the relatively coarse
underlying fibres.
Endurance The ability of a leather to resist surface damage, such as cracking, when
folded, grain outwards, in two directions at right angles to give a sharp
corner. Flexing endurance may be tested by a machine such as the Bally
flexometer.
Energy recovery Recovery of energy from a process, or from solid waste treatment.
Environmental impact Any modification to the environment, positive or negative, which can be
a partial or total result of activities, products or services of a body.
Environmental Management Audit Scheme Voluntary scheme for environmental accreditation of participating
enterprises that is audited by a competent external verifier according to
(EMAS) the requirements of EC Regulation no. 1836/93.
Environmental Management System (EMS) System to achieve environmental targets which is adopted by
enterprises and is certified by an accreditation body. The system is
based on the voluntary compliance of the enterprises, according to the
international norm EN ISO 14000.
Enzyme Natural catalyst, produced by, and occurring in, living organisms and
responsible for bringing about certain chemical changes necessary for
their life; used in bating and depilation.
Enzyme unhairing Loosening of the attachment of the hair or wool of a hide or skin by
treatment with an enzyme preparation.
The two proteins are of very different composition, and respond very
differently to treatment with unhairing solutions. When skin is limed the
epidermis is decomposed, thus enabling removal of the hair, whereas
the underlying collagen is not adversely affected.
Epithelial tissue (epithelium) Tissue of the kind that covers the surface of the body and lines some
hollow structures in humans and animals, consisting of sheets of cells
bound closely together without intervening connective tissue.
Ether alcohol ester Chemical compounds of different alcohols and acetic acid used as
solvents in finishing formulations.
Ethylene Diamine Tetra Acetic Acid (EDTA) Ethylene Diamine Tetra Acetic Acid (EDTA), or its water soluble di-
(Na2EDTA) or tetrasodium (Na4EDTA) salts, are complexing agents that
can combine by co-ordinate bonding with a single metal atom to form a
cyclic structure called a chelation compound or simply a chelate.
Eugenics Eugenics, the science dealing with factors that influence the hereditary
qualities of a race such as growth rate, body size at mature age,
composition of cows milk and ways of improving these qualities.
European Norm (EN) Norm or method set up and approved by a European Committee and
accepted by the national Standards Bodies of the EU countries.
Evenness Attribute of a dyed material showing a regular, level and equal colour all
over its surface.
Excess salt Conventional - pack - salt curing is an effective but relatively inefficient
process since more than 50% of the salt offered remains as excess used
salt.
Exhaust air Gas or steam produced during leather manufacturing. Mainly used to
describe the exhausted air from finish application systems.
Exhausted dye Total removal, more or less, of a dye from a bath to the leather being
treated.
Exotic leather Tanned and finished reptile or batracian skin showing its original grain
structure.
Extract tanning Tanning process based solely upon the use of tanning extracts, in
contrast to a process also utilising ground vegetable tanning materials.
Extractable fatty matter Fatty matter capable of extraction (in Soxhlet apparatus) from leather,
by certain organic solvents such as dicholoromethane.
Extraction hood Equipment under which the operator works with toxic vapours. These
vapours are extracted through this equipment.
LEATHER TERMS –F
Fading to light Loss of colour of a surface through exposure to natural or artificial light.
Fancy leather Leather for the manufacture of smaller leather articles, such as purses, wallets,
portfolios; includes morocco, pinseal, sheep leathers.
Fashion colour Colour or range of colours of seasonal duration, promoted as fashion trend.
Fastness General term to meet required properties for different leather types like fastness to
cleaning, fastness to water spotting, fastness to dry and wet rubbing etc.
Fat Natural mixture of triglycerides of middle and long-chained fatty acids. Usually, fats,
also known as lipids, are solids at ambient temperature and oils are liquids.
Fat tannage Tannage by treatment with soft animal fats which undergo chemical changes in
contact with the skin fibre, leading to the fixation of fatty matter.
Fatigue Failure of a material by cracking or breaking resulting from repeated or cyclic stress.
Fatliquor (v); fatliquoring Introduce oil into leather, normally by drumming it with an oil-in-water emulsion, to
provide lubrication to the leather.
Fatliquor soap Soap produced as a result of the reaction of saponifiable fatty matter in leather with
alkaline liquors.
Fatting Application, in liquid or solid state, of oils, fats and waxes to leather.
Fatty acid Organic monobasic acid derived from the series of aliphatic hydrocarbons; examples
are palmitic acid, stearic acid and oleic acid.
Fatty alcohol More or less water insoluble monohydric alcohol with a medium number of carbon
atoms, 12 or more, and especially those derived from the ester waxes.
Fatty alcohol sulphate tannage Treatment with alkyl sulphate or alkylene sulphate in the acid region.
Fatty matter Oils, fats and waxes and similar substances present in a material, that can be
extracted from animal skins and leather by organic solvents such as dichloromethane.
Fatty spue Material that, once in the leather is later expressed to the surface by mechanical,
physical or chemical means. Fatty spue is generally a powdery spue, derived from
natural fat or from fatty matter used to lubricate the leather.
Fatty stain Mottled discolouration due to migration of natural fat to the surface of the hide or
skin.
Feather dyeing Application of a dye solution to the extreme tips of guard hairs, with a single wing
feather of a swan, goose or turkey, etc.
Feel Sensation felt by touching or handling a leather. For example, soft, smooth, thick,
flexible, etc.
Feel improver Finish agent used to improve the impression of physical properties of leather like
smoothness, flexibility etc.
Fellmongery Establishment where wool is removed from woolled sheepskins, usually by painting.
The washed and dried wool and the limed, delimed, bated and pickled pelts being
sold separately.
Felt Compressed, densely matted unwoven fabric of wool, sometimes with rayon or hair.
Felting Condition of wool fibres which have become interlocked and matted by means of
their outer scales. One usual cause when processing fine wool skins is too much
agitation in the process vessel.
Fermentation Any process involving the mass culture of micro-organisms, either aerobic or
anaerobic. When dealing with waste, it refers to composting or biomethanisation.
Fibre Extremely long, fine, pliable, cohesive, natural or manufactured threadlike material.
Note: Fibre of collagen, wool, cotton, nylon, etc.
Fibre bundle Collection of more or less parallel fibres such as collagen fibres, somehow bound
together.
Fibre fullness Term describing the actual diameter of the collagen fibres in pelt or leather in relation
to the diameter which could, or should, be achieved.
Fibre pattern Fibre pattern is the internal structure of the hide or skin as exposed under the
microscope, such as the arrangement of the fibrils, fibres and fibre bundles in a hide
or skin as shown, for example, by a vertical section through it.
Fibre weave The way in which the fibres or fibre bundles in the dermis appear, in a vertical section
through it, to be interlaced or assembled to form a sheet.
Fibrous protein Insoluble protein, occurring naturally in the form of fibres built up of macromolecules
arranged more or less along the fibre axis and consisting of groups of helical
polypeptide chains, held together parallel to each other.
Filling agent Finish agent mostly used for splits and buffed grain leather to improve fullness,
pleasing handle and improve the surface appearance of the leather.
Filling property Ability of a finish agent to achieve desired filling effects for a leather.
Film former Material incorporated in a finish to form a film on evaporation of the solvent. Note:
Casein, nitrocellulose, polyacrylates.
Film formation Ability of a finish preparation to form a film on evaporation of the solvents or water.
Depending on the binders used in the film-forming material, a wide range of effects
and properties of the leather may be obtained.
Film properties Properties of a finish film such as flexibility, smoothness, gloss, handle, etc.
Film spreading Ability of a film-forming finish preparation to flow out over the surface of a leather.
Film transfer finish Finish coat is applied by means of transfer films. The transfer films are manufactured
by lamination of different coloured aluminium bronzes at high temperatures. Mainly
used for gold and silver leather.
Film-forming properties Ability of a film-forming material incorporated in a finish preparation to achieve
desired film-forming.
Filter press Filter comprising a set of vertical, juxtaposed recessed plates, pressed hard against
each other by hydraulic jacks at the end of the set.
Filter clothes are applied to the two grooved surfaces of the plates. The sludge to be
filtered arrives under pressure in the filtration chamber through orifices generally in
the centre of the plates. Solid sludge gradually accumulates in the filtration chamber
until the final compacted cake is formed. Cakes are discharged by separation of the
plates.
Filter bell Glass container, more or less shaped as a bell, used in some analytical methods, for
example in vegetable tannins analysis.
Fine grain Leather whose grain is smooth and the hair follicles are minute.
Fineness of wool Degree of wool quality. Smooth wool, with no impurities or coarseness. Wool of high
quality.
Fine-pored leather Leather whose grain shows fine and regular hair follicle design.
Finish (v); finishing Treatments applied to the tanned hide or skin to give it the desired properties as a
commercial product, such as bleaching, degreasing, dyeing, retanning, introduction
of grease, mechanical treatments applied to the wet or dried leather and finally the
treatment of the leather surface with pigmented finishes and seasons. In the
narrower sense limited to those treatments designed to enhance the appearance
and/or give the grain or flesh surface special properties.
Finish adhesion Measure of the ability of a film of finish to resist being pulled away from the surface
of the leather to which it is being applied.
Finish cracks Cracking of the finish is generally a lack of flexibility in the finish film.
Finish pinhole Small openings in the finish, especially a pigment coat, are generally due to grain
imperfections that the finish cannot fill or cover.
Finish runs Finish runs tend to occur when applying a heavy coat of finish and moving the skins to
the hanging area too quickly. The finish then runs down the surface of the leather
before it has time to set.
Finishing auxiliary Additional agent used in a finish to achieve desired properties or requirements of a
finished leather.
Finishing formulation Finish of a leather can vary greatly depending on the purpose of the leather. To
achieve the desired properties and requirements, the different finish coats are
mixtures and combinations of various finishing agents and components set out in a
finishing formulation.
Finishing line Installation for the continuous finishing of leather comprising such operations as
roller coating, intermediate drying and spray finishing with additional final drying. The
leather is transported by conveyors to or from and/or through the various machines
or installations.
Finishing recipe Statement of the amounts of the various finishing agents used in a finishing
formulation as well as instructions for the application processes like temperature,
time etc. The finishing recipe is put down in writing to ensure reproducible leather
quality later on.
Firmness Property of a material being able to resist bending and other forces.
Fish eye Fish eyes are small areas that resist wetting when the finish and subsequent coats are
applied. The cause can be when too much anti-foam agent is used and/or when small
particles are present in the anti-foam agent.
Fix (v); fixing Convert loosely held or water soluble material in leather, such as dye or vegetable
tannin, into firmly held or water insoluble form by chemical and/or physical
processes.
b) Fixation of a base coat on the leather surface or the fixation of a finish coat
onto another finish coat.
Fixed tannin Tannin fixed by hide substance in a form more or less resistant to the action of water;
calculated from the composition of leather as the difference from 100 of the sum of
the percentages of moisture, ash, grease, hide substance and organic water-soluble
matter.
Fixing agent Additional agents or additives are used to achieve sufficient fixation of finish coats
depending on the type of finish used. Note: Aldehyde, acetic acid and/or chromium
(III) salts, modified melamine compounds.
Fixing bath Bath or liquor, that contains fixing agents and chemicals, to be fixed onto a material.
Flame retardant Is used to denote a compound or mixture of compounds that when added to, or
incorporated into, a polymer serves to slow up or hinder the ignition or growth of
fire.
Flammable Product or preparation which may catch fire after contact with a source of ignition.
b) they can start burning in solid condition after the source has been taken
away,
e) they create in contact with water or wet air highly flammable gases, and
Flank 1. Part of the hide that covers the belly and the upper part of the legs of the animal
(shanks).
Flash point Minimum temperature at which, under specified conditions, a liquid gives off
sufficient flammable gas to produce a flash on application of an ignition source.
Flay - (Butchers) Flay is a cut in the flesh side of the hide or skin made by the butcher when removing
the skin from the carcass.
Flay (v); flaying Process of removing the hide or skin from a dead animal.
Flaying knife Knife for flaying animals having a rounded and curved end, designed to minimise
flaying cuts on hides and skins.
Fleck Small areas of grain loss caused by ectoparasite infestation. Fleck in suedes is
generally caused by blood vessels that do not dye properly. See: Light spot.
Fleece Totality of the hair and wool fibres on the whole skin of a fur animal.
Flesh (v); fleshing Process of cutting away the subcutaneous tissues, or flesh, from inner side of a hide
or skin.
Flesh finish Finish which is applied to the flesh side of leather. Mainly used if the flesh side is
visible in the final product, but also used to seal the flesh side of saddlery and harness
leathers.
Flesh side The inner side of a hide or skin which was in contact with the animal’s body.
Flesh split The innermost layer of a hide or skin, obtained by splitting into two or more layers.
Fleshing damage Damage can be caused by a mechanical fleshing machine if, for example, hides are
infested with dung. The dung causes uneven thickness in the hides causing the
fleshing machine to gouge the flesh. Poor trimming prior to fleshing can cause
damage as long shanks get caught in the machine. See: Chatter marks.
Fleshing knife, (flexible) Long, more or less flexible, straight, two-handled knife, with one or both edges
sharpened, used for cutting away the subcutaneous tissues, or flesh, from hides or
skins laid over the beam.
Fleshings Small pieces of connective and adipose tissues cut from the inner surface of hides and
skins in the fleshing operation.
Flesh-to-flesh Hides or skins piled on each other with their flesh sides in contact.
Flex (v); flexing Measure of the ability of leather to bend through a considerable angle more or less
easily without damage.
Note: Bally flexometer which measures the ability to withstand repeated flexing to
and fro without damage.
Flip over Occurs in a spraying machine or its drying tunnel where the edge of a piece of leather
folds over on itself and the wet finish adheres, leaving a dull mark. Generally applies
to light leathers and can be overcome by adjusting the air movement within the
spraying machine and drying tunnel.
Float Simple level detection system for reservoir, basin or tanks. Also refers to the aqueous
liquor in which a process such as pickling or tanning is performed.
Flotation Treatment stage consisting of bringing to the surface any solids suspended in the
water with the help of gaseous microbubbles. The scum thus produced is then
removed by skimming.
Flow Poor flow is characterised by a patchy appearance to the finish which has been
applied. It is caused by poor film formation generally due to poor wettability of the
leather.
Flow-improver Additive to finish formulations to assist wetting the leather surface and improve flow
out of the finish. Surface wetting problems during finishing often occur with water
repellent leathers, fatty substances, or the drying processes such as vacuum or paste
drying.
Fluff (v); fluffing Abrading the flesh side of dry leather with a rotating pumice or carborundum wheel
to give it a nap and a level substance. See: Dry wheeling, Buff (v); buffing.
Fluffing wheel A revolving wheel, formerly of pumice, but now either narrow and wooden or papier
mâché, with a crown dressed with emery or carborundum powder, or wide and
barrel-shaped of emery or carborundum, used to cleanse the flesh side of, or give a
nap to, respectively dry or damp leather.
Fluidised bed ISO 6107-4 : “ A bed of small particles freely suspended by an upward flow of liquid,
gas or combined liquid and gas ”.
2. Necessary condition of the finish preparation used for the application of foam
finishes.
Fog (v); fogging 1. In the context of the leather industry, this is the tendency of the leather (or other
materials) to release materials that are able to form a fog, or mist, on a surface such
as glass. This is particularly applicable to the automotive industry and the fogging of
car windscreens and windows.
2. Fogging test - Test to evaluate the tendency of a leather (or other material) to
release material able to fog a surface, for example a glass or a windscreen.
Formaldehyde Organic compound sometimes used in leather processing and finishing. This product
is being replaced by other aldehydes and alternative products.
Formaldehyde tannage Tannage with formaldehyde, H.CHO, is no longer performed; formaldehyde has been
replaced by glutaraldehyde or modified glutaraldehyde.
Frame dryer Cabinet or throughfeed drying unit with frames to which the leather is fixed to
corrosion resistant, perforated metal plates by means of special clamps (toggles).
Free acid Acid not bound to other chemicals, such as the fatty acids split by hydrolysis
(chemical or enzymatic) from triglycerides (fats or oils).
Free formaldehyde Formaldehyde content in a leather or other material, determined with or without
physical or chemical treatment of the sample.
Free water Water contained in the interstices of a material, none being held to it by chemical or
physical forces.
See: Bound water; set (v); setting-out; samm (v); samming; dry (v); drying.
Fresh hide Uncured hide, within such a short period after flaying from a freshly slaughtered
animal so that it has not suffered from autolytic or microbiological changes.
Fresh lime liquor Lime liquor through which no hides or skins have passed.
Frigorifico Hides from South America, particularly Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil, which are
cured by the Frigorifico method. In this cure, the skins are washed in brine and then
placed in the salt pack.
Fringe-level tanned hide Form of hide or skin which, after subjection to usual beamhouse treatments, has
been given a vegetable tannage, usually with mimosa, lighter than for typical crust
leather, but just adequate to enable it to be dried out for export and further
processing.
Frized leather Leather made from hides or skins, the grain of which has been removed in the limed
state by scraping with a special knife or with a machine.
Full chrome tanned Leather tanned solely with one agent, chromium salts.
Full fatliquoring Penetration of the leather through its whole thickness with fatty matter.
Full grain leather Leather bearing the original grain surface as exposed by removal of the epidermis and
with none of the surface removed by buffing, snuffing or splitting.
Full leather Leather made from the unsplit or full thickness of hide or skin. For example, full hide
or skin.
Full oil tannage Tannage solely with oxidisable fish or marine animal oils.
Full or saturated dyeing For textiles this is the theoretical maximum of fixed dye based on the number or
amount of dye fixation sites. The term saturate dyeing is not strictly applicable to
leather.
Full surface dyeing Leather that is dyed on the surface, with the minimum penetration of the dyestuff.
Fullness Property of a leather to have pleasing handle and not being flat and empty. To
achieve fullness or an improved, pleasing handle, filling agents are used in finish
formulations. They deposit additional material between the leather fibres and are
used especially for leathers which feel thin or empty.
Fully dyed Material which shows a colour of high intensity, and is fully penetrated or dyed
through.
Fumigation Action or process of applying chemical fumes, smoke or a mist of tiny insecticide
droplets as a disinfectant or disinfecting agent. Fumigants are poisonous to warm-
blooded animals including man; they should be applied only by trained persons using
proper equipment.
Fungi Micro-organisms, comprising about 100,000 species. They are eucaryotic, spore
bearing organisms with absorptive nutrient and no chlorophyll, that reproduce
sexually and asexually. Together with bacteria, they play a role of enormous
significance as decomposers. Mushrooms, yeasts and moulds are fungi.
Fur The whole of the hair coat of various animals used for making furs, such as of foxes,
beavers, mink, etc.
Fur dyeing Dyeing a furskin, or certain other animals with fine hair which, after finishing and
cutting, etc., is ready to be made into a garment by a furrier.
Fur dyestuff Dyestuff that could be used for colouring hair, fur, etc., usually an oxidation dyestuff.
Fur finished shearling Tanned and dressed sheepskin, bearing short or medium length wool, which has been
treated by a process to straighten and brighten the wool.
See: Shearling.
Furskin Undressed, or raw, animal skin with a more or less well developed hair coat, which is
usually dressed with the hair attached to the skin and is generally used hair out.
LEATHER TERMS –E
Gall (nut, apple) Pathological growth produced on the leaves, buds or fruits of various trees, especially
oaks, by the action of various insects, particularly of the genus Cynips.
Gall wasp Wasp of the genus Cynips, causing the growth of galls.
Gallotannin Class of vegetable tannins which are esters of phenol carboxylic acids, chiefly gallic, m-
digallic and related acids, with polyhydric alcohols and sugars such as glucose; readily
hydrolysed into their components.
Gas Chromatography (GC) Separation technique involving passage of a gaseous moving phase through a column
containing a fixed phase; it is mainly used as a qualitative and quantitative analytical
technique for volatile compounds.
Gas meter leather Leather capable of being rendered air-tight by impregnation with oils and used for
diaphragms in gas meters.
Gel filtration Type of chromatography which separates molecules on the basis of size; higher
molecular weight substances pass through the column first. Also known as molecular
exclusion chromatography; molecular sieve chromatography.
Gelatine salt test Test to check the presence of a vegetable tannin in a solution by adding a gelatine
solution containing salt
Gelatine Water-soluble, gel-forming protein, prepared from collagen by extracting limed and
delimed skin pieces or ossein (degreased and decalcified bone) with hot water; the
process involves shortening and uncoiling of the polypeptide chain.
Geometrisation To trim effectively at the earliest possible point in manufacture to minimise waste and
optimise yield.
Glacé goat Leather made from goat skin finished as glacé kid with a smooth, glossy grain surface
but semi-chrome or vegetable tanned.
Note: In Italy, this leather may be chrome tanned, synthetic tanned or alum tanned.
Glacé kid Upper leather made from kid or goatskin by a full chrome tanning process and given a
smooth, bright, glossy finish.
Glacé leather Straight dyed grain gloving leather, especially on the continent of Europe.
Glacé leather Leather finished on the grain side with a bright, smooth, glossy or glasslike surface
obtained, according to the type of leather, by glazing, plating, ironing or polishing.
Glacé tanning Tawing, or dressing, with a mixture of alum, or aluminium sulphate, salt, egg yolk and
wheat flour.
Gland Any cell or organ which synthesises and secretes some particular chemical substance
for use by the body or for excretion.
See: Phospholipids.
Glass cylinder Fixed glass cylinder in the working head of a glazing machine which imparts a high
gloss to previously coated leather by rapidly moving across the leather surface under
high pressure.
Glass plate Glass plates in frames which are used in the paste-drying process. A glass plate is
covered with a thin starch paste and the wet leather is slicked out on this, grain side to
the glass, to which it adheres, thereby preventing shrinkage on drying.
Glaze (v); glazing Operation carried out by a glazing machine to impart a high gloss to previously coated
leather. A glass or agate roller is pushed with frictional pressure over the leather
surface in rapid sequence.
Glazing cylinder Fixed glass or agate cylinder in the working head of a glazing machine which imparts a
high gloss to a previously coated leather by rapidly moving across the leather surface
under high pressure.
Globulin Any of a class of simple proteins with little or no solubility in water, but soluble in salt
solutions. Globulins are extracted to a great extent by salt preservation of hides. With
the increase in fresh hide processing, the blood protein of the clotted blood in
hematomas could cause stain problems during leather making (haemoglobin iron +
unhairing sodium sulphide).
Gloss Lustre of a polished surface, which gives a superficially attractive appearance, by
reflecting a high proportion of incident light.
Gloving kid Soft grain gloving leather, capable of being considerably stretched without springing
back. In the strict sense made from kid skin tawed, or tawed and subsequently chrome
tanned or simply chrome tanned.
In the UK sometimes applied to leather made from lambskin. In Spain the leather is
mainly chrome tanned.
D-glucogallin, first isolated from Chinese rhubarb and occurring in tara, myrabolams
and eucalyptus extracts and formed by breakdown of several gallotannins.
Glue Impure form of gelatine obtained by extracting bones or glue-stock with hot water.
Glue-stock Trimmings from untanned hides and skins and fleshings, used in the manufacture of
gelatine and glue.
Glutaraldehyde Dialdehyde, OHC.(CH2)3.CHO. Can be used as a solo, pre or re-tanning agent for all
types of leathers. Improves wash, perspiration and alkali resistance.
Glutaraldehyde leather Modified glutaraldehyde pre-tannage given to hides or skins prior to the main
tannage.
Glyceride (mono-,di-,tri) Ester of glycerol with respectively one, two or three esterified
Glycoprotein Member of a group of animal conjugated proteins containing as prosthetic groups one
or more saccharides with a relatively low number of sugar residues, covalently bound
to the protein moiety; occur in connective tissues and include certain globular
proteins.
Glyoxal Dialdehyde, OHC.CHO, which tans in fairly concentrated solutions of alkali carbonates
and bicarbonates, giving a light, tan-coloured, flexible leather.
Goatskin Skin from a goat with straight hairs, in contrast to one from a goat with woolly hair
such as Angora, Kashmir and other types.
Gold leather Leather with a gold-coloured metallic surface. The metal may be gold or a gold-
coloured alloy or a white metal in conjunction with a tinted lacquer. The metal may be
applied in the form of leaf or foil or as a finely divided powder suspended in lacquer.
Grain Outer surface pattern of a hide or skin which includes the hair follicles and pores just
beneath the thin layer of epidermis. During the unhairing process the epidermis is
removed and the underlayer becomes the grain surface.
Grain absorptivity Ability of the grain surface of a leather to take up a solution or liquid.
Grain break Grain break is the pattern of tiny wrinkles formed when the leather is bent grain
inwards. The causes of poor, or coarse break can be due to stale raw material or
processing defects. See: Break.
Grain cracking Formation of cracks in the grain surface of leather under the stresses of pulling or
bending, as in lasting.
Grain embossing Form an artificial grain on the surface of a leather by pressure from a heated engraved
plate or roller.
Grain impregnation Agents to improve the break by tightening the grain surface and reducing any
excessive absorbency capacity. Special pre-treatment of the leather before the
application of a polishing agent or the base coat.
Grain layer The portion of a hide or skin extending from the surface exposed by removal of the
hair or wool and epidermis down to about the level of the hair or wool roots.
Grain oil (v); grain oiling Application of an oil to the grain surface of leather to protect the surface from
darkening by oxidation during the drying process, or to protect a finished leather.
Grain pattern Pattern presented by the surface of the dermis of the hide or skin after removal of the
epidermis and hair or wool, or pattern of the finished leather.
Grain split The grain layer of a hide or skin obtained by splitting it into two or more layers.
Grain tightness Firm attachment of the grain layer of a leather to the underlying dermis, shown by the
absence of wrinkles when the leather is fixed grain inwards.
Grained leather Leather whose natural grain pattern has been developed by boarding or which has had
a grain pattern impressed upon it.
Grasser skin Calfskin or kip taken from an animal which has been fully weaned to a green diet,
characterised by coarseness of grain.
Grease General term for a solid or semi-solid material with certain fatty properties, such as
feel, which may be a single material or a blend of various oils, fats, soaps, etc., used for
such purposes as stuffing leather and lubrication.
Grease (v); greasing Introduce grease into a material or apply it to the surface.
Grease mark Dark, fairly extensive area on leather, especially over the kidney or backbone area due
to excessive concentrations of natural grease.
Grease topping Grease preparation applied to a finished leather to give it special properties.
Greasy paste Greasy mixture used to spread on the surface of certain leathers.
Green flesh (v); green fleshing Flesh hides or skins before liming.
Green fleshings Small pieces of connective and adipose tissues cut from the inner surface of hides and
skins in the fleshing operation (after soaking).
Green hide More or less fresh, uncured hide as flayed from an animal.
Green weight Weight of the hide as it is removed from the carcass and trimmed at the time of
flaying, before any evaporation has begun.
Grey scale Series of achromatic tones having varying proportions of white and black to give a full
range of greys between white and black; also in a grey/black scale. A grey scale is
usually divided into 5 steps with half divisions. (e.g. 1, 1/2, 2, 2/3, 3 etc.) Usually used
for the evaluation of colour change or transfer (e.g. 5 = no colour change, 1 = high
colour change). The white to black grey scale is used to assess staining (colour transfer)
and the grey/black scale is used to assess the change in colour.
Grey shimmer Undesirable surface effect of a leather caused by uneven refraction of light especially
on leather with coarse hair pores, dark coloured finishes or in leather with very thin
finish coat.
Grid Plate, formed of a system of crossed parallel bars or wires, over which leather is
stretched for drying.
Grin (v); grinning Formation of paler, or grey looking, parallel fine crevices when the leather is stretched
or bent grain outwards, owing to the rupture of the pigmented finish coat.
Grinder Device with grinding wheel for sharpening the knife blades of splitting machine,
shaving machines, etc.
Grinding wheel A rotating grindstone for sharpening a knife as in the splitting machine, shaving
machine, etc.
Ground (v); grounding Applying of a base coat to leather, to block the pores, before
Ground tan-bark Tannin-containing bark, especially oak and pine barks, ground ready for use.
Ground tanning material Vegetable material, such as barks, fruits or woods, reduced to small fragments for
leaching or for use in layers.
Growthiness Grain wrinkles, or fat wrinkles, seen as depressed valleys on the grain surface, mostly
the neck and radiating at right angles from the backbone. Growthiness is an inherent
characteristic of skins and hides and can only be minimised by processing and
mechanical actions.
Guard Part of a machine specially used to provide protection by means of a physical barrier.
Depending on its construction, a guard may be called casing, cover, screen, door,
enclosing guard, etc.
Gypsum stain Darker and harder area on the leather surface due to the deposition of insoluble
calcium and magnesium salts (phosphate), formed by the interaction of calcium and
magnesium compounds in the curing salt and phosphate derived from bacterial action
on blood and/or muscle tissues.
LEATHER TERMS –H
Hair Keratinous fibres growing from the skin of most animals, except certain types of sheep,
characterised by its stiffness, straightness and special surface pattern of scales.
Hair bulb Lowest part of the hair inserted into the hide or skin.
Hair follicle depth The depth of the rounded sack-like structure which extends downwards into the
thickness of the dermal tissue. In this narrow- mouthed follicle the hair or wool is
developed and an attached sebaceous gland discharges. The follicle depth is different
in various body sites.
Hair immunisation Reduction of the solubility of hair in sulphides by means of an alkaline pre-treatment.
Hair looseness (slippiness) Condition of the hair on a hide or skin, brought about by bacterial action or a
depilatory process, such that it can be readily scraped away.
Hair loosening Release of hair from the hide or skin.
Hair pore More or less fine opening of the hair follicle on the skin surface.
Hair recovery Recovery of more or less whole hairs during the unhairing process.
Hair save unhairing Any method of unhairing in which the hair is recovered more or less undamaged.
Hair screening Elimination of whole hairs from a liquid by the means of screening.
Hair sheep Type of sheep having a coat of straight, stiff, fibres instead of soft and curly, and
occurring in the higher, drier and more tropical regions, such as Africa, India, Java,
Brazil and the Middle East.
Hair slip Hides and skins which have undergone sufficient putrefaction to loosen the hair or
wool.
Hair-on leather Leather tanned without removing the original hair in the beamhouse.
Halotolerant bacteria Class of bacteria that do not require salt (NaCl) for growth but can tolerate salt and are
capable of growth in 20% salt environment. Halotolerant bacteria are frequently
equated with halophiles, a group of archaeobacteria that require salt for growth.
Hammameli tannin Crystalline degalloylhexose, without tanning properties, isolated from the bark of
Hammamelis virginica.
Hammer (v); hammering Process of striking repeatedly with a hand or mechanically operated hammer, to
consolidate bottom leather, to flatten a welt after attachment or to shape an upper to
the last.
Hand boarded See: Board (v); boarding.
Hand stuffing Application of grease by means of a pad or brush, to the surface of damp leather,
spread upon a table.
Handle Sensation or feeling of certain physical properties of leather, such as flexibility and
smoothness, which can be perceived by touch with fingers and hands.
Handle (v); handling Removing hides or skins from a processing vessel or liquor and replacing them in the
same or another vessel or liquor.
Hang (v); hanging Suspend a hide from above by means of one or more nails, hooks, strings, etc.,
through one end or edge.
Hang drying Drying method of leather, generally under cover in a normal atmosphere with
ventilation or with the addition of warm air.
Hard grain goat Goatskin leather with a characteristic pinhead grain pattern, produced by hand
boarding, after glazing, in a damp condition in at least four directions. Vegetable
tanned.
Note: Sometimes called Morocco. In Germany also combination tanned and especially
sumac tanned.
Hard resin Synthetic resin which produces a film, inflexible and not easily penetrated.
Hardened fat Solid fat made by chemical reaction (hydrogenation) from certain animal and
vegetable oils.
Hardness Amount of calcium carbonate dissolved in water, usually expressed as parts of calcium
carbonate per million parts of water.
Harness leather Strong, flexible, curried, cattle hide, grain leather with a plain finish, usually having a
thickness of 4 mm to 6 mm.
Hat leather Sheep or calf leather, usually vegetable tanned, specially prepared for the sweat bands
of hats or caps.
Haul (v); hauling Removing individually hides or leather in process from a pit.
Hazardous wastes Waste which can cause or significantly contribute to an increase in serious irreversible
incapacitating illness or pose a substantial hazard to human health or the environment
because of its quantity, concentration or physical, chemical or infectious
characteristics.
Health and safety instruction Instructions for a machine or a process, intend to prevent injury to an operator.
Heat damage - (in paint) Damage to skins caused by temperatures rising which may be due to exothermic
reaction of the alkalis used, or if the paint solution is too warm when applied.
Heat pump Device for transferring heat from a substance or space at one temperature to another
substance or space at a higher temperature. It consists of a compressor, a condenser,
an expansion valve, and evaporator. Is used in raw sheepskins and leather drying.
Heating up - (in paint piles) Elevation of temperature in the middle of a pile of sheepskins that have been painted
with an aqueous depilatory mixture.
Heavy metal Metal whose specific gravity is approximately 5.0 or higher (such as lead, copper,
chromium, nickel). The heavy metals content in wastewaters is usually strictly limited
by the environmental legislation as well as in final goods asking for “ecolabel”.
Heel Raised component under the rear of the shoe consisting of any of a wide variety of
shapes, heights, styles and materials.
Helvetia leather In Italy, Spain and the UK a yellow, very tough, flexible, greasy, cattle hide leather,
traditionally salt and alum pre-tanned and then stuffed with a mixture of fish and
animal oils. The yellow colour is caused by oxidation.
Hereford hide Hide of a breed of a hardy red beef cattle with white faces and markings that
originated in Herefordshire, England, but are now extensively raised in the Western
USA and other grazing regions. The Hereford hide is carrier of a genetic peculiarity
associated with pure Hereford breed; the fibres of the hide tissue are arranged in a
parallel manner nearly perpendicular to the grain surface.
Hide The outer covering of a mature or fully grown animal of the larger kind.
Hide powder Powder from an untanned or lightly chrome-tanned hide, used in the vegetable
tannins analysis.
Hide powder method Method to evaluate the tannins and non-tannins content in a liquid or a material (in
solution) by measuring the amount of matter bound by the hide powder.
Hide processor More or less long and large diameter, rotatable drum, inclined at an angle which may
be fixed or variable, with an open upper end for loading and unloading and with an
internal spiral blade system; used for treating hides or skins with liquors.
Hide salt Common salt of appropriate purity and grain size for salting hides; sometimes
denatured.
Hide wringer Machine for squeezing superfluous liquor from prefleshed, brined hides by passing
between rollers. These hides are sufficiently ‘dry’ to be bundled immediately.
High frequency conditioner, dryer Drying or conditioning unit, mainly as through-feed process. It is possible to achieve
accurate moisture contents in the leather by means of electromagnetic waves with
very high oscillation frequencies.
High Performance Liquid Method used in chemical laboratory to separate the chemical compounds of a
Chromatography (HPLC) chemical mixture. This separation is carried out in a liquid phase at high pressure in a
column.
High Performance Liquid Same as High Performance Liquid Chromatography, with a specific detector used to
Chromatography – Diode Array detect, for example, such products as azo dyes.
Detector (HPLC-DAD)
High Volume Low Pressure (HVLP) System used in spray finishing of leather, based on a high volume of air at a low
pressure feeding the spray guns.
Hippy velour Ragged-looking patchy or mottled suede leather made from an unfleshed hide or skin,
finished on the unfleshed side.
Hogskin Grain gloving leather made from the skins of the peccary and carpincho and in
Germany also the domestic pig. This leather is sometimes buffed on the grain and then
is known as buffed hogskin.
Hold up Poor hold up refers to the appearance of the surface pigment finish. A patchy
appearance may be caused by excessive penetration of the base coats.
Hole Hole caused by butchers when removing hides from the carcass. Also mechanical
damage holes. Note: Fleshing machine damage.
Hoof Hard, horny casing of the foot of certain animals such as horses, cattle, deer, swine.
Horn Permanent growth, often curved and pointed and usually one of a pair, on the head of
cattle, sheep, goats and other mammals; it consists of a keratinous sheath over a bony
core.
Horn rake Long narrow surface lesion caused by the horns of cattle too closely herded together.
Horse butt Rear part of a horse hide obtained by cutting from flank to flank at right angles to the
backbone.
Horse butt Leather made from the rear part of a horse hide.
Hot pit (v); hotpitting Used at the end of pit vegetable tanning. A high strength liquor (17 °Bé to 18 °Bé ) with
a raised temperature of 40 °C to 43 °C which reduces the particle size, allowing
greater penetration and fixation.
Hot stuffing Introduction of grease into leather by treating in the dry or damp state with hot,
molten grease by surface application, drumming or dipping.
Hot water mark Localised area of hide or skin affected by hot water or steam pipe where the collagen
has partially or completely gelatinised.
Hot-air stuffing Introduction of grease into leather by milling it in a damp state in a drum heated by
hot air.
HPLC - DAD See : High Performance Liquid Chromatography – Diode Array Detector.
Humidity Atmospheric water vapour content expressed in any of several measures, such as
relative humidity.
Humidity controller Device for controlling the moisture content of the atmosphere in a system.
Hunting calf Suede upper leather with the suede on the flesh side, made from a larger calf skin or
from a veal.
Hunting suede Suede upper leather, finished on the flesh side, made from calf skin, heavy goat or
cattle hide. See Hunting calf.
Husk Dry, outer covering of certain fruits or seeds, such as the seed pods of Teri.
Hyaline layer Very thin, glass-like film, said to exist between the Malpighian layer and the grain
membrane.
Hydration Incorporation of molecular water into a complex molecule with the molecules or units
of another species; the complex may be held together by relatively weak forces or may
exist as a definite compound.
Hydraulic leather Hide leather specially prepared to be flexible enough for moulding to shape.
Note: Usually supplied in the mellow rough tanned state but sometimes dressed or
wax impregnated.
Hydraulic leather Leather items made from hydraulic leather, moulded to shape and impregnated with
wax.
Hydraulic plating press Obtain desired plating effect and film formation of finished leather by high pressure
from a heated, polished steel plate.
Hydro-extractor Centrifugal machine, with a perforated inner cage, rotating at very high speed.
Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S) Colourless gas with characteristic odour of rotten eggs, heavier than air and toxic
when inhaled. In the tanning industry, the liming liquor containing sulphide is drained
off and sent to the effluent treatment plant where hydrogen sulphide gas may
concentrate.
Hydrolysable tannin Vegetable tannin of the class which, in contrast to tannins of the condensed class, can
be split by enzymes (tannase), or dilute acid into simple units, (glucose and
phenolcarboxylic acids), such as gallic, digallic and ellagic acids.
Hydrometer Device for measuring some characteristics of a liquid such as its density (weight per
unit volume) or specific gravity (weight per unit volume compared with water).
Hydrometers may be marked in any of four scales: Specific gravity, Twaddle, Baumé,
and Barkometer. Specific tables show the relationship between BK, Tw, Bé, and
specific gravity and allow the conversion of the readings.
Hydrometer method Method to evaluate the concentration of, for example, vegetable tanning floats, by
measuring the density.
Hydrophilic Lipophylic Balance (HLB) Relative simultaneous attraction of an emulsifier for two phases of an emulsion
system. For example: Water and oil.
Hydrophobic group Group which has no affinity for water, or repels water.
Hydroxyproline C5 H9 O3 N. Amino acid that is essentially limited to structural proteins of the collagen
type.
Hygroscopic equilibrium Equilibrium between the moisture content of a material and the surrounding moist
atmosphere.
LEATHER TERMS –I
Identification systems (traceability) Various permanent marking methods that will enable traceability
from the live animal to the dry finished leather.
Immature keratin, (soft) Softer, less highly condensed and less chemically resistant form of
keratin, composing the newly formed epidermal cells and the hair
and wool roots.
Immediate Oxygen Demand (IOD) Indicates the immediate oxygen demand that is required for a short
term oxygen consumption without micro-organisms intervention.
Immersion dyeing Dyeing process in which the skins, usually paired flesh to flesh, are
repeatedly dipped into, and removed from, the dye liquor contained
in a trough.
Immersion process Process of dyeing in which leathers are immersed in a mordant, dye
or other solution.
Impregnated bend Sole leather bend which has been impregnated with wax, hard
grease, rubbery polymers or other agents in order to make it more
water-resistant and/or durable.
Impregnated leather Sole leather bend which has been impregnated with wax, hard
grease, rubbery polymers or other agents in order to make it more
water-resistant and/or durable.
Inactivate (v); inactivating Change reactivity of a chemical group, from an active group into an
inactive group.
Infrared drying Through-feed dryer using radiant heat which is absorbed instantly by
the exposed wet leather surface, evaporating the water.
Infrared radiator Device, usually heated by electricity or gas, for generating infrared
radiation and specially used for drying aqueous finish coats.
Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) EU Directive that must be implemented in all Member States from
the end of October 1999. It is being introduced across Europe to
improve the standard of environmental protection. The purpose of
the Directive is to achieve prevention and control of pollution arising
from the range of activities listed in its Annex 1. It lays down
regulations designed to prevent, or where that is not practicable, to
reduce emissions to air, land and water from these activities,
including regulations concerning waste. This is being done in order to
achieve a high level of protection of the environment, taken as a
whole.
Interface Surface that forms the common boundary between two liquids.
Interlocking device (interlock) Mechanical, electrical or other type of device, the purpose of which is
to prevent the operation of machine elements under specified
conditions (generally as long as the guard is not closed).
International contract Agreement between the trades organisations ICT and ICHSLTA
establishing the terms of trade for the sale/purchase of “Hides and
Skins”, defined in the International Contract No 6, and “Finished
Leather”, defined in the International Contract No 7.
International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) A non-governmental organisation established in 1947 whose mission
is to promote the development of standardisation and related
activities in the world, with a view to facilitating the international
exchange of goods and services and to developing co-operation in the
spheres of intellectual, scientific, technological and economic activity.
International Register of Potentially Toxic Chemicals UNEP scientific tool for recording and sharing data used to assess the
(IRPTC) hazards posed by chemicals to human health and the environment.
Ion-exchange Chromatography (IC) Chromatographic procedure in which the stationary phase consists of
ion-exchange resins which may be acidic or basic.
Iron (v); ironing Rotary heated metal surface used to achieve a smooth and/or glossy
appearance to the grain surface of the leather. Also used on woolled
sheepskins to straighten and give a gloss to the wool fibres.
Iron oxide determination Determination of any of the hydrated, synthetic or natural oxides of
iron: Ferrous oxide, ferric oxide.
Iron stain Contact with iron (rust) causes wet staining and eventual
deterioration of leather.
Iron tannage Tannage with trivalent iron salts and especially with certain complex
anionic compounds.
Ironing plate Polished and heated steel plate against which leather is pressed in
the plating or ironing machine.
Irregular dyeing Dyeing not regular, uneven and imperfect. Not the same colour over
all the surface.
ISO 9000 - 9001 - 9002 - 9003 Set of quality standards for the implementation of Total Quality
Systems.
The isoelectric point (or region) of leather is different from that of the
raw hide or pelt collagen (5-6); it is shifted by vegetable tannage to
the acid side and to the alkaline side by the usual cationic one bath
chrome tannage.
LEATHER TERMS –J
Japanned leather Type of patent leather prepared by application of daubs, varnishes and lacquers,
which may be pigmented.
Note: In Germany the term "japanleder" is a special type of leather used for
orthopaedic purposes (belting and bandages, gymnastic).
Jungle suede Two-tone irregularly coloured fine suede leather, produced on the flesh side, dressed
and dyed to simulate light and shade and to emphasise the veins and natural
characteristics of the skin.
LEATHER TERMS –K
Kaolin Natural form of hydrated aluminium silicate sometimes used as a filler for leather.
Ked Wingless fly sometimes called the sheep louse or tick, which attacks sheep,
puncturing the skin to suck blood; recently said to cause rib cockle.
Keratin Insoluble, cystine-containing protein of which hairs and wool, feathers, scales, nails,
claws, horns and the older epidermal layers are chiefly composed.
Keratinisation Transformation of the epidermal proteins in keratin to form hair, wool and epidermis
structure.
Khari salt Khari or salt-earth, is a natural product used for curing hides and skins, occurring in
the Indian sub-continent and SE Asia, consisting mainly of sodium sulphate and
magnesium sulphate together with about 30% earthy matter.
See: Mud-cured.
Kiss marks Pale, well defined area on vegetable tanned leather produced through the contact of
hides with each other in the suspender tanning pits. This contact prevents the even
penetration of the tanning agent.
LEATHER TERMS –L
Lacquer Solution of a substance in one or more organic solvents which, on evaporation of the
solvent, leaves a more or less hard, transparent and glossy protective film, such as
shellac in alcohol.
Lagoon Large, more or less shallow, enclosed area or basin, into which impure water, or waste
liquor is introduced for storage, mixing, settling-out of solids, etc.
Lake Insoluble organic pigment made from a dye and a mordant. It is obtained by
precipitating a soluble organic dye with a precipitating agent, such as a metallic salt.
Lambskin 1. A lamb’s skin or a small fine grade sheepskin, or the leather made from either.
2. Such a skin dressed with the wool on and used especially for winter clothing.
Laminate (v); laminating Ready prepared finish film on a carrier foil which is applied to the leather surface by
pressure and heat. After plating the carrier foil is peeled off.
Laminated leather Composite material normally composed of layers of leather laminated together. If a
layer of another material is incorporated the term is defined differently.
Landfill Area where waste and rubbish are deposited and eventually buried.
Landfill (sanitary) A specially engineered site for disposing of solid waste on land, constructed so that it
will reduce hazard to public health and safety as well as the environment. Some
features include an impermeable lower layer to block the movement of leachate into
ground water, a leachate collection system, a system permitting the control of
methane, and daily covering of garbage with soil.
Lanolin Purified wool grease that has been refined to produce a paler colour and reduce its
odour and free fatty acid content. Lanolin is often used in cosmetics and in ointments.
Lastometer Apparatus used to give information about the tendency of a material to cracking or
breaking during the lasting process in shoe manufacture.
Latigo leather Cattle hide leather tanned with a combination of alum and gambier, used for cinches,
ties, saddle strings and other saddlery work and for army accoutrements.
LC50 indicates a substance which kills 50% of a group of specific animals. It is generally
expressed in mg of substance/l, but also mg of substance/cm² when a substance or
preparation is directly tested on the skin.
Leach (v); leaching Removal of desired soluble constituents from a material by a suitable solvent, such as
tannins, etc., from vegetable tanning materials by water.
Leachate Liquid that has percolated through solid waste and/or has been generated by solid
waste decomposition, and has dissolved or suspended materials in it. The liquid may
contaminate ground or surface water.
Leather General term for hide or skin with its original fibrous structure more or less intact,
tanned to be imputrescible. The hair or wool may or may not have been removed.
Leather is also made from hide or skin which has been split into layers or segmented
either before or after tanning. However, if the tanned hide or skin is disintegrated
mechanically and/or chemically into fibrous particles, small pieces or powder and
then, with or without the combination of a binding agent, is made into sheets or other
forms, such sheets or forms are not leather. If the leather has a surface coating, this
surface layer, however applied, must not be thicker than 0,15 mm.
Leather goods General term used for goods made from leather.
Leather stacker Device for receiving leather automatically and individually from a machine or conveyor
and laying them flat on each other, for example, on a pallet.
Leatherboard More or less thick and flexible sheet material, composed mainly, if not entirely, of
ground or disintegrated leather, held together with a suitable binder, such as rubber
latex. Leatherboard is not leather.
Lecithin Member of a type of phospholipid present in the skin, and also in egg-yolk, composed
of glycerol esterified with two molecules of higher fatty acid and one molecule of
phosphoric acid, linked to a molecule of a nitrogenous base, choline.
Leopard grain Grain defect on sheepskin leather visible as slightly rough, dull spots, scattered over
the surface, similar to the spots on a leopard skin. The grain is actually damaged on
the raised areas of the mottle.
Lethal concentration (LC) Concentration of a substance in the environment, such as a river or in the
atmosphere, which causes the death of a specific species.
Lethal dose (LD) Dose of a substance which causes the death of a specific species. It is generally
expressed in mg of substance per kg of the animal.
Leuco-compound Compound related in constitution to a dye, into which it can be converted by oxidation
or reduction. This product could be colourless, or almost colourless.
Levacast Finish used for upgrading splits. A natural leather grain structure is taken from leather
by making a rubber sheet-like silicone matrix. By means of a special coating machine
and a special finish preparation the grain structure on the matrix is transferred on to
the surface of the finish coat, leaving a split leather which looks like a grain leather.
Level (v); levelling Converting tanned hides or skins to a similar and uniform predetermined thickness
over their area by operations such as splitting, shaving, whitening and buffing.
Levelling agent Material added before, or during dyeing which, by slowing down dye uptake,
promotes the production of a level colour.
Levelling properties Substance with the property to produce a level, even, or uniform distribution
throughout a material.
Lice Two types of lice cause damage to hides and skin. Biting and sucking lice can both
cause subsequent rubbing and scratching leading to abrasions and then infection.
Also linked specifically to light spot, fleck and scatter or spread cockle damage.
Life cycle assessment (LCA) Et Technique for assessing the environmental aspects and potential impacts
associated with a product by compiling an inventory of relevant inputs and outputs of
a product system, evaluating the potential environmental impacts associated with
those inputs and outputs, interpreting the results of the inventory analysis and
impacts assessment phases in relation to the objectives of the study.
Lifting leather Leather for the layers (lifts) used to build up heels.
Light spot Small areas of grain loss caused by ectoparasite infestation. Fleck in suedes is generally
caused by blood vessels that do not dye properly. See: Fleck.
Lighten (v); lightening Alter or treat the colour of a dyed material in the direction of white, prior to dyeing.
Lightfast Ability to endure long exposure to normal light conditions without serious
deterioration of properties, especially colour.
Lime Liquor based upon lime, calcium hydroxide, Ca(OH)2 but usually containing other
chemicals, such as sodium sulphide (Na2S) or sodium hydrosulphide (NaHS), into which
hides and skins are placed to loosen the hair, remove non-structural proteins, saponify
fatty matter, open-up the fibre structure, etc.
Lime (v); liming Treatment of hides and skin, originally essentially with a lime solution, but today also
with other alkalis, or alkalis together with reducing agents, in order to loosen, or
destroy, the hair or wool, remove unwanted proteins, saponify fatty matter, open-up
fibre structure, etc.
Lime blast Surface of a limed skin affected by lime blast appears shiny. Lime blast interferes with
vegetable tanning and also affects dyeing adversely. It is caused by limed material
being exposed to air for too long; the calcium hydroxide reacts with carbon dioxide in
the air and forms calcium carbonate. High calcium levels in water can also cause lime
blast.
Lime flesh (v); lime fleshing Flesh hides or skins directly after liming.
Lime fleshings Pieces of connective and adipose tissues cut from the inner surface of hides and skins
in the fleshing operation (after liming).
Lime liquor Liquor based upon lime, but usually containing other chemicals, into which hides and
skins are placed to loosen the hair, remove non-structural proteins, saponify fatty
matter, open-up the fibre structure, etc.
Lime paint Paste of lime applied to, or painted onto, the flesh sides of hides or skins to loosen the
hair or wool.
Lime slurry Lime residue similar to a sludge, composed of deteriorated hairs, dissolved proteins in
suspension and unused lime.
Lime splits and trimmings Waste obtained by splitting and trimming unhaired and limed hide or skin.
Lime sulphide Lime liquor sharpened with a sulphide, usually sodium sulphide.
Limed weight Hide weight after soaking, swelling in lime, minus hair, epidermis and after the
removal of flesh by the fleshing machine.
Limed wool Wool which has been removed from sheepskins after loosening by steeping the skins,
folded wool inside, in a lime liquor.
Lime-sulphide unhairing Removal of hair or wool from hides or skins by means of lime and sulphide.
Lime-yard Department of the tannery where hides and skins are prepared for tanning and
especially the section where they are treated with lime liquors to loosen the hair, to
open-up the fibre structure, etc.
Liming pit Pit in which hides or skins are steeped in milk of lime, or milk of lime together with
other chemicals, to loosen the hair, remove unwanted protein constituents, open-up
the structure, etc.
Lining leather Leather used for the linings of shoe uppers, handbags and other leather goods.
Lining shearling Tanned and dressed sheep or lambskin, bearing short wool, used for lining purposes.
See: Shearling.
Lipid Collective term for animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes and certain related
substances which are insoluble in water but soluble in fat solvents. Divided into
simple, compound and, sometimes, derived lipids.
Liquor loading Loading of vegetable-tanned sole leather by drumming it in the wet state in a short
float of concentrated tan liquor.
Live weight Weight of live animal as it is presented to the auction house for sale.
Long-chained chlorinated paraffins Paraffin (organic hydrocarbonate substance) with the formula R-Cl, where R groups
(LCCP) represents a long-chain alkyl radical containing more than 20 carbon atoms.
Long-chained sulphochlorinated Paraffin (organic hydrocarbonate substance) with the formula R-SO2-Cl, where R
paraffins (LCSCP) groups represents a long-chain alkyl radical containing more than 20 carbon atoms.
Loose and pipey grain Grain layer which is loosely attached to the underlying main corium layer and forms
folds or wrinkles when the leather is bent grain inwards. Often caused by staleness
and can also be caused by mechanical processes. Note: Staking.
Losing colour Alter in shade or intensity of colour, by the action of light, sun or weather.
Low grain Grain enamel that has been damaged by bacterial, mechanical or chemical action. See:
Rubbed/sueded/abraded grain.
Lubricant Anti-friction agent, usually oil or grease, which lubricates a material or machine.
Lubricate (v); lubricating Apply an anti-friction agent (a film of fluid, usually an oil, or of a semi-solid, such as
grease) to a material surface such as leather fibres.
Lubricating power Capability of fatty substance, solution or liquid, to enter into a porous solid such as
leather in order to provide anti-friction properties to a material.
Lustre Special top coating agent used for suede and nubuck leather to impart a sheen or
lustre to the surface fibres.
Lymph Colourless, aqueous fluid in the intercellular spaces of tissues and in the lymph tubes,
containing a small amount of protein and certain cells (lymphocytes).
Lyotropic swelling, Uptake of water by, and swelling of, a protein, produced by neutral salts and due
mainly to the interaction of ions and molecules with non-ionic bonds, probably
crosslinks of the hydrogen bond type, leading to lessened cohesion.
Lyotropic unhairing Removal of hair or wool from hides or skins by the means of substances breaking
hydrogen bonds.
LEATHER TERMS –M
Machine damage Damage caused to hides and skins by the mechanical process of leather making.
Mange Skin disease of animals caused by microscopic parasitic mites. Psoroptes and chorioptes
species are non-burrowing mites and are relatively easy to treat. Scarcoptes and
demodex species penetrate the skin, requiring repeated treatments to clear infestations.
Manufacturing bend Sole leather bend produced primarily for the manufacture of new footwear.
Note: It is usually lighter in substance and more flexible, than a bend used for the repair
of footwear.
Maple Tree of the Acer species, such as Manchurian or Korean Maple, yielding the crystalline
gallotannin “Acertannin”.
Marbled grain Leather grain surface showing lighter coloured, indented pattern, resembling the veins on
marble and corresponding to that of the finer underlying blood vessels. Suspected to be
caused by climatic conditions and typical examples come from certain South American
hides.
Marine salt Common salt obtained by evaporation of sea water; contains calcium sulphate and
magnesium chloride and may also contain halophilic bacteria, causing red heat and other
defects.
Mark off (v); marking off Displace, transmit or transfer the colour from a dyed material to a second material in
contact with it.
Masking Suppression of the reactivity of a complex, by the addition to its solution of a ligand
capable of being more or less firmly held; thereby the metallic ion is less easily
precipitated by alkali and the entry of the complex-active groups of collagen is hindered.
Mass Spectrometry Detector Gas Gas chromatography whose detection system is based on mass spectrometry.
Chromatography (GC-MS)
Mass Spectrophotometer Analytical device breaking down the sample into a series of ions with a specific mass
which characterises the sample.
Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) Sheet providing all relevant information about the risks associated with a chemical
substance or a chemical preparation (physical and chemical properties, toxicity, eco-
toxicity, safety prevention measures, etc.).
Matting agent Agent applied to leather in a finish process, which produces a matt surface.
Mature keratin, (hard) Harder, more highly condensed and more chemically resistant form of keratin, composing
the hair and wool shaft, nails, horns, etc., and the outermost epidermal layers.
Maturity State of being mature; fullness or perfection of natural development or growth; ripeness.
When animals are raised under conditions that encourage rapid growth, a greater
proportion of collagen is immature; the term maturity used in this context, refers to the
stability of the crosslinks in the collagen molecule.
Maximum Admissible Concentration The maximal quantity/dose of specified substance or effect that is not considered an
(MAK) undue risk to human health.
Mechanical de-salting Elimination of solid salt from hides or skins by mechanical means.
Mechanical screening unit Fir First treatment station of effluent, its purpose is to protect the structure downstream
against large objects which could create obstructions in some of the facility’s units. Also
to easily separate and remove large matter carried along by the raw water which might
negatively affect the efficiency of later treatment procedures or make their
implementation more difficult.
Melamine White crystalline high melting organic base; six-membered, carbon-nitrogen cyclic
compound, with three amino groups.
Melanin One of a group of reddish-brown to black substances forming the pigments in certain hair
and epidermal cells.
Mellow (v); mellowing To render a liquor gentle in action by passing several packs of hides through it.
Mellow lime liquor Lime liquor through which several packs of hides and skins have passed and which has
good depilatory action, but does not produce excessive plumping.
Membrane Thin flexible, more or less permeable, sheet-like material, enveloping cell or organs, lining
organs, or separating or connecting adjacent parts of an organism.
Membrane filtration Generic process of separation of suspended and dissolved solids from a liquid by means
of a membrane.
Membrane stretching (Dynavac) Stretching method for finished leather. The leather is laid flat on a rubber membrane and
a second membrane is super-imposed mechanically over the first membrane and a
vacuum is applied to bond both membranes tightly together. Radial stretching of both
membranes gives increased area to the finished leather.
Memel Black or brown curried hide leather, heavily embossed, frequently used for a heavy boot
upper.
Mercapto compound unhairing Removal of hair and wool from hides or skins by mercapto compounds.
Metal complex tanning agent Tanning agent whose action depends upon the presence of complex metallic compounds,
which are polynuclear and usually cationic, but also may be anionic.
Metal-complex dyestuff Class of anionic dyestuffs containing complex-bound metal atoms (Cr, Cu, Fe).
Metallised leather Leather given a metallic lustre by the application of metallic foils or powders.
Metamerism Occurs when a coloured surface is examined under different lighting conditions and a
marked change in its colour can be observed. Similarly, when two objects viewed under
one particular illumination may have identical colour appearance, yet appear different
when viewed under different illumination. This effect is known as illuminant metamerism.
Microfiltration Process based on separation by membranes which retains particles of between 0,1
microns and 10 microns.
Microwave drying Drying method using microwave energy. As water absorbs microwave energy, molecular
friction causes evaporation of water inside the fibres of the leather by oscillation of water
molecules. As the sticking effect of the leather fibres during drying is reduced, softer
leathers are obtained.
Mid-sole leather Bottom leather produced from bends or more usually shoulders or bellies of cattle hides
and used in footwear construction between the inner and outer sole.
Migrate (v); migrating Move a substance in the structure of a material from one part of a system to another, by
the effect of physical properties such as temperature and/or pressure.
Note: As the plasticiser in a finish layer moves into the leather.
Migration Passage of a component in solution from the interior of a solid onto the surface, or onto
another solid in contact with it, such as
See: Bleeding.
Milk kidskin Soft fine-grained skin of a young unweaned kid; area up to 2½ square feet (sq. ft.).
Milling Mechanical softening of damp or dry leather in a rotating dry drum. Mainly used for
garment leather and soft upholstery leather.
Mineral tannage Tannage with basic salts of chromium, zirconium, aluminium, iron, titanium, etc.
Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) The bacteriostatic activity of a disinfectant is determined by an evaluation of the
minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). This is the simplest method of measuring
inhibition of bacterial growth, and is similar to the test time serial dilution method for
determining susceptibility to antibiotics.
Mis-shape Damage caused to a hide or skin resulting in the shape being abnormal.
Mixed (vegetable) tannage Combination of a (accelerated) pit tannage, a drum tannage and also a vegetable tannage
employing a mixture of materials, such as myrabolams, algarobilla, valonia and chestnut
and oak woods.
Mixed Liquor Volatile Suspended Solid Volatile part of the suspended solids in activated sludge.
(MLVSS)
Mocha Gloving leather with a fine silky suede finish on the grain side, made from the skin of hair
sheep, originally the Arabian blackhead, but now also from other types of hair sheep; the
usual method of removing the grain being by frizing in the limed state. Generally alum or
aldehyde tanned.
Modified casein Casein, a protein obtained from milk, modified by means of a polyamide. The use of
modified casein improves desired properties of finish preparations.
Modifier Finishing auxiliaries added to the top coats or applied as separate top coat to give the
leather desired surface handle properties.
Moellon Water-in-oil emulsion, or a degras, containing the partially oxidised oil (hydrophilic train),
extracted by pressing marine oil-tanned skins.
Mohlman index Also called Sludge Volume Index or SVI. It is the ratio of the volume of sludge after 30
minutes of settling (cm3) and the suspended solids (SS) in grams, present in this volume.
Activated sludge that settles easily has an SVI of 50 to 100 cm3.g-1.
Moisture content Quantity of water in a mass of a material expressed in percentage by weight of water in
the mass. Note: Leather, soil, sewage, sludge or screenings.
Molasses Residual product from the manufacture of cane sugar, in the form of a black, viscous,
sugar-containing liquor; used to prepare reduced chrome liquors.
Mononuclear complex Complex ion containing one central atom to which the ligands are attached.
Mordant (v); mordanting Apply a substance, prior to dyeing with certain types of dyestuffs, to increase their
fixation by a material to achieve a desired colour.
Mordant dyestuff Dye that, for its fixation, needs a mordant which, in the case of leather, is a metallic salt.
Morocco Vegetable tanned goat skin leather with characteristic grain pattern developed naturally
or by hand boarding or graining only.
By long usage, especially in the fancy good trade, denotes goat skin of any vegetable
tannage that has been hand boarded in the damp condition, but in the strict sense it
should be limited to goat skin tanned exclusively with sumac. See: Hard grain goat.
Morocco Leather made from vegetable tanned goat skin with a grain resembling that of genuine
Morocco, but produced otherwise than by hand boarding, for example, by embossing or
embossing followed by boarding.
Note: Should be termed "Morocco grained goat" or "Assisted Morocco".
Mottled Drawn grain in lamb or sheepskins is often referred to as mottled. Portions of the skin are
raised and between the raised areas the skin is shrunken and often darker in colour. Can
be caused when skin are being giving a paddle liming after a lime/sulphide paint and the
paddle speed is too fast.
Mould (v); moulding To give the required shape to a material by introducing it in a liquified or plastic state into
a mould where it solidifies, such as in the case of forming rubber soles on footwear.
Moulding injection Method of manufacturing certain objects, in which various components, normally liquid
or liquified by heating, are forced into a mould where they solidify, such as in the case of
soles or whole shoes.
Moveable guard Guard generally connected by mechanical means, such as hinges, to the machine frame
or an adjacent fixed element and which can be opened without the use of tools.
Mucin Any of various glycoproteins forming the main constituent of mucus, a slimy substance
that contains mucin and other glycoproteins and is secreted by the mucous glands and
membranes of animals for protection, lubrication, etc., (mucins interferon, fibrinogen).
See: Glycoprotein.
Mucopolysaccharide Group of linear, high molecular weight saccharides, built up of repeating pairs of a hexose
sugar and an N-acetylhexosamine (neutral mucopolysaccharides) or a hexuronic acid and
a N-acetylhexosamine which may be esterified with sulphuric acid (acid
mucopolysaccharides). May occur free or combined with covalent links with a small
proportion of protein other than collagen or elastin. Present in the ground substance of
connective tissues and in cartilage.
See: Glycosaminoglycans.
Mud Deposit formed in a vegetable tan liquor, especially when containing ellagitannins.
Mud-cured Cured by application to the flesh side of muddy salt-earth, or khari salt, and drying; it is
alleged that sometimes mud completely replaces the salt (Historical interest).
Mutagen Substance or preparation which, by inhalation, ingestion or skin penetration can cause
hereditary genetic modifications or increase their frequency.
Mutagenic Substance known to be mutagenic to man. One which has enough elements to establish a
cause and effect relationship between man’s exposure to this substance and the
appearance of hereditary genetic modifications.
LEATHER TERMS –N
Nail Hard, keratinous, pointed or more or less oval, epidermal growth at the tip of a finger or
a toe.
Nanofiltration (NF) Process based on separation by membranes which retains particles of between 1
nanometre and 10 nanometres and results in the production of extremely pure drinking
water.
Nappa Soft, full grain gloving or clothing leather made from unsplit sheep, lamb, goat or kid
skins. It is usually tanned with chromium salts and dyed throughout its substance.
Note: In France and Germany also made from side leather for footwear and leather
goods purposes.
Nappalan Woolled sheep or lambskins bearing the characteristics of nappa on the flesh side.
Natural dyestuff Organic dyestuffs obtained from animal or vegetable matter, with very little, or no
chemical processing.
Natural feel Sensation felt by handling a material that has no artificial treatment. For example, a
leather without any finishing.
Natural glue Glue made from gelatine extracted from hides, bones or glue-stock.
Natural grain Grain without any finishing coat showing its natural design and feel.
Natural grease Natural fatty matter in hides and skins which is more or less removed during conversion
to leather.
Near-Infrared Differential (NIR) Spectrophotometry at wavelengths in the near-infrared region of the spectrum.
Neatsfoot oil Oil from the washed split feet of cattle, as well as sheep and horses.
Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) Unit used in measuring the scattering function at various angles of particles suspended
in a medium.
Neutralisation Process of raising pH towards neutral from acidic zone, of a mineral-tanned leather after
tanning by treatment with a solution of alkaline salt or buffer mixture.
Neutralise (v); neutralising Raise pH towards neutral from acidic zone, of a mineral-tanned leather after tanning by
treatment with a solution of an alkaline salt or buffer mixture.
Neutralising agent Organic or inorganic alkaline salt, or alkaline buffer mixture, used to raise the pH of a
mineral-tanned leather after tanning.
NF See: Nanofiltration.
Nitrocellulose finish Type of finish in leather production. The film-forming material is cellulose nitrate
dissolved in organic solvents. Nitrocellulose is made from waste cotton by treatment
with nitric acid. It is also know as collodion.
Nitrocellulose lacquer Finish agents used in solvent-soluble dye and pigment preparations and as top coats. The
basic product of these agents is nitrocellulose.
Nitrogen (total) Total Nitrogen (TN) applies to all forms of nitrogen in water including the reduced forms
and the oxidised forms.
· The reduced forms correspond to Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN): Organic nitrogen and
ammonia nitrogen (-NH4-).
· The oxidised forms correspond to the nitrous nitrogen (Nitrite NO2) and the
nitric (Nitrate NO3).
No Observed Acute Effect Concentration Acute exposure level at which there are no statistically or biological significant
(NOAC) differences in the frequency or severity of any effect in the exposed or control
populations. Acute exposures are usually characterised as lasting no longer than a day,
as compared to longer, continuing exposure over a period of time.
No Observed Effect Concentration (NOEC) Exposure level at which there are no statistically or biological significant differences in
the frequency or severity of any effect in the exposed or control populations.
Non tannin (NT) Water soluble constituents of a vegetable or synthetic tanning material not taken up by
the hide powder in the course of tannin analysis and hence regarded as incapable of
tanning.
Non-ionic emulsifier Emulsifier which, when dissolved in water, does not ionise.
Non-ionic surfactant Surface active agent which produces electrically neutral colloid particles in solution.
Nonyl Phenol Ethoxylate (NPE) Chemical compound often found in emulsifiers and wetting agents.
Nubuck White or coloured, usually chrome-tanned leather, mainly used for uppers, made from
cattle hides and calf, and sometimes pig skins, buffed on the grain side to give a fine,
velvety surface.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Phenomenon exhibited by a large number of atomic nuclei, in which nuclei in a static
magnetic field absorb energy from a radio-frequency field at certain characteristic
frequencies. It gives information about the molecular structure.
LEATHER TERMS –O
Oak bark tannage Slow vegetable tanning process for sole leather, carried out in pits, using oak bark as the
basic material and not involving hot-pitting or bleaching.
Occupational Exposure Standard Concentration of an airborne substance, averaged over a reference period, at which,
according to current knowledge, there is no evidence that it is likely to be injurious to
employees if they are exposed by inhalation, day after day, to that concentration.
Odour Volatile emanations, specific of certain bodies which may be detected by human and
animal, due to the stimulation of cells in the nose.
OEL Occupational Exposure Limit.
2. Parts of hides not used for standard grades of sole leathers; the heads, shoulders,
and bellies of heavy leather.
Oil Any of various greasy, combustible liquid substances obtained from animal, vegetable and
mineral matter. A natural, or artificially prepared substance, viscous, liquid at 30 ºC,
insoluble in water, soluble in solvents such as ether and benzene. Organic substance
usually consisting of hydrocarbons or esters of glycerol or higher monohydric alcohols and
introduced into leather for lubrication and other purposes.
Oil (v); oiling. (oil off (v); oiling off) Apply a thin film of oil to the leather grain, to prevent oxidation during drying and ensure
an elastic grain.
Oil tannage Tannage by means of certain unsaturated fish or marine animal oils which, in contact with
the pelt, undergo oxidation and other chemical changes, leading to irreversible fixation of
various fatty derivatives.
Oil-in-water emulsion Suspension of fine particles or globules of an oil dispersed throughout water.
Oil-waxy feel Leather surface that has a tacky sensation after it has been treated with oils and waxes.
Olation Condensation of hydroxyl complexes to larger ones by the union of metal ions by O
bridges between them, favoured by heating. The degree of olation is the proportion of
olated hydroxyl groups to the theoretically possible total amount of hydroxyl groups per
chromium atom. The higher the degree of olation, the higher the stability of chrome
solutions to acid.
Old lime liquor, (stale) Lime liquor through which very many packs of hides and skins have passed, which
contains notably amounts of ammonia and protein decomposition products in which
bacterial action may occur.
Oleophobic Substance which has no affinity for, or repels, oily liquids.
One-component polyurethane lacquer Solvent-soluble lacquer with highly polymerised polyaddition compounds used in finish
systems to achieve desired properties. Often used as non-reactive one-component
system directly applied to the leather surface, causing crosslinking reaction with moisture
in the leather, or in the air, or the amino groups of the leather substance.
Ooze leather Vegetable or chrome tanned skin of bovine origin, generally calf, with a very soft glove-
like feel and a natural grain sometimes accentuated by boarding.
OP dips Liquid containing an emulsified organophosphorus compound into which sheep or cattle
are dipped for treatment; especially for killing ticks on sheep or lice on cattle.
Opaque finish General term for all types of finish containing covering pigments and binders.
Open grain Coarser or more open grain in contrast to a small, tight grain. Open grain leathers are
usually stretchier and of lower quality.
Opening-up (of the hide structure) Loosening of the corium structural network and of the fibre bundles and fibres and a
chemical modification of the collagen, without actual rupture of the polypeptide chains,
produced during liming and by the alkaline or acid pre-treatment of collagen or ossein to
render it suitable for melting-out for gelatin manufacture.
Optical brightener Agent used to improve the white effect in the finish of white leather. By conversion of
invisible short-wave light into visible long-wave light the white light reaching the eye
increases.
Orange peel Dappled effect, similar to the pattern of an orange skin, caused by too heavy spraying of
the pigment finish.
Organic pigment Coloured synthetic, complex organic materials insoluble in water and in organic solvents.
Used in finish preparations as leather coating colours.
Organic solvent Solvents used in finish preparations to enhance flow-out and to obtain significant film-
forming effects by means of their evaporation rate.
Orthopaedic leather Specially tanned hides or skins for medical purposes, often using an aldehyde tannage.
Osmotic swelling Uptake of water by, and swelling of, a protein, occurring in acid and alkaline solutions and
associated with the strongly ionic protein groups, leading to an uneven distribution of
freely moving ions within and without the protein.
Overdried Excessively dehydrated ‘hard’ dried hides or skins as a result of the hot climate (high air
temperature, absence of wind), or drying under direct sunshine (sunburn), or the hot air
used for quick drying of sheepskins.
Overspraying During the application of finishes by hand or automatic sprayings, as much as 40% to 60%
of material may be wasted by spray guns continuing to spray after they have passed over
the leather.
Ox Large cloven hoofed, frequently horned, ruminant mammal, long domesticated for its
milk, meat and hide, and as a draught animal; a castrated adult male of this animal, a
steer; in plural, cattle.
Oxidation ditch An oval channel with a v-shaped cross-section fitted with rotors for aeration and
circulation of wastewater.
Oxidation dyestuff Dyestuff (organic base) formed in a material by oxidation of a previously applied primary
product. This produces intensely coloured insoluble compounds for colouring hair or fur.
If this oxidation takes place in the presence of a mordant, even deeper coloured
compounds are produced and a larger variety of colours becomes possible.
Oxidative unhairing Removal of the hair from hides or skins by destroying it with an oxidising agent in acid
solution.
Oxidisable matter Can be defined as (2BDO5 + COD)/3, and is used in some countries as a basis for taxation
of polluting discharges.
Oxidise (v) ; oxidising Combine with oxygen to form an oxide or oxygen compound. Increases the intensity of
the reaction in the event of a fire and also results in the fire spreading very fast. It can
react very violently with other stored dangerous substances including packing material
and thus trigger spontaneous fire.
Oxolation The formation of a salt, the complex ions of which contain metallic ions linked by oxygen
atoms.
LEATHER TERMS –P
Pad (v); padding Application of finish coats, by manual padding with a plush-covered pad or by a padding
machine using pads, mechanically moving to and fro across the leather surface.
Pad marks Marks left by a plush-covered pad used for applying pigment finish. The marks are
visible as streaks and can be caused by an uneven surface on the pad or poor flow-out
of the finish.
Paddle (vat) Semi-cylindrical vessel (of metallic, wood, concrete or plastic materials) fitted with a
revolving paddle wheel for keeping skins and liquors in motion. This type of vessel could
be used in different beamhouse processes such as soaking, liming, and rinsing.
Paddle dyeing Dyeing in a paddle or vat fitted with rotating blades, to keep the contents in motion.
Paint (depilatory) Pasty, aqueous mixture, applied to the flesh side of certain hides and skins, especially
sheep and goat skins, to loosen the hair or wool.
Note: Mixture of slaked lime and sodium sulphide or of an enzyme and a thickener.
Paint (v); painting Application of a pasty, aqueous, depilatory mixture (paint) to the flesh side of certain
hides or skins, especially sheep and goat skins, to loosen the hair or wool.
Paint marks Water resistant and lightfast pigment formulation applied to a domesticated animal
(especially sheep), that indicates its owner, class, etc.
Painted hair Hair removed from hides or skins after loosening by application of a depilatory paint to
the flesh side.
Painted wool Wool removed from sheepskins after loosening by sulphide paint applied to the flesh
side.
Pancreatic enzyme Enzyme originating from the pancreas, often used in bating.
Papillary layer Papillary dermis is commonly referred to as the papillary layer or the ‘thermostat
layer’. The papillary dermis or thermostat layer contains hair, hair follicles, sebaceous
glands, sweat glands, erector pili muscles, etc. Surrounded and supported by
connective tissue (collagen) fibres.
Parchment A translucent or opaque skin material, having a smooth surface, suitable for
manuscripts, bookbinding and other purposes. Made from calf, sheep and other unsplit
skins by drying the dehaired, limed skin without applying any tannage, the material
being thoroughly cleansed and degreased and the grain surface being smoothed during
the process. In the UK parchment is made from the flesh split of a sheepskin. In other
EU countries parchment may be made from any type of skin.
See: Vellum.
Paste (v); pasting Mix a dye powder with water or other liquid, to obtain a paste for dyeing.
Paste (v); pasting Process of sticking wet leather to a smooth plate for drying.
Paste drying Drying method mostly used for upper leather with corrected grain. A glass plate is
covered with a thin starch paste and the wet leather is slicked out, grain side to the
glass, to which it adheres thereby preventing shrinkage on drying in the drying
chamber.
Pastel Character of a delicately coloured surface, scattering, emitting and/or reflecting a high
proportion of incident white light.
Pasteurisation Pasteurisation aims at making a product aseptic. By way of example, the use of sludge
on pastureland. Pasteurisation can be achieved by heating the sludge to 70 °C for 30
minutes.
Pasting agent Glue, such as carboxymethyl-cellulose or starch paste, used to stick the wet leather on
to the glass plate during paste drying.
Patent laminated leather Plastic surfaced laminated leather with the appearance of patent leather.
Patent leather Leather with a lustrous mirror-like surface, built up by the application of one or more
coats or daubs, varnishes or lacquers, pigmented or non-pigmented, based on linseed
oil, nitrocellulose, polyurethane and/or other synthetic resins.
Pebbled grain Wrinkled grain layer caused by the corium contracting during the tannage more than
the grain layer, which therefore seems to be “drawn up”. Can be caused by excessive
agitation in the process vessel or chemically. See: Drawn grain.
Peccary Grain leather, mainly gloving, made from a wild boar indigenous to Mexico, Central
American countries, Brazil and Argentina.
Peel (v); peeling Undesired removal of a thin layer of finish from the leather surface.
Peeling Grain Grain layer separates from the corium. Usual causes are too high a temperature during
storage and processing, as well as bacterial damage.
Pelt Skin in the trimmed, dehaired or dewoolled, limed, fleshed, perhaps bated, and
scudded condition. In other words, the isolated corium layer more or less ready for
tanning.
Pelt split Split in the fully hydrated and untanned state, as cut from skins after removal of the
hair or wool, epidermis and flesh layer.
Pelt trimmings Pieces cut from pelt to give them a satisfactory shape.
Penetrating ability (of a dyestuff) Ability of a dyestuff during dyeing to penetrate into the interior structure of a material.
Penetration time Time needed for the required degree of penetration of a chemical into the inner layers
of the leather.
Penetrometer Device to measure the dynamic water resistance of flexible leathers. The penetration
time, water absorption and water transmission are all recorded.
Pentachlorophenol (PCP) Chemical substance sometimes used as a preservative in leather, wood, cotton and
other natural materials.
Peptidase An enzyme which hydrolyses the peptide links of polypeptides, though not of native
proteins.
Peptide Any compound in which two or more amino acids are linked together in a linear
sequence, the carboxyl group of each acid being joined to the amino group of the next.
Depending upon the number of amino acid residues per molecule, they are known as
dipeptides, tripeptides, and so on, and finally polypeptides.
Perch (v); perching Softening and stretching method for light leathers by means of a perching machine with
a bladed cylinder.
Perchloroethylene washing fastness Fastness (mainly colour fastness) of a dyed leather to a perchloroethylene washing test
(dry cleaning).
Perforation Holes punched in shoe uppers for decorative effect. The holes are punched by machine
according to pre-designed patterns, usually before the parts are stitched together.
Permeometer Device for measuring the coefficient of permeability by measuring the flow of fluid
through a sample across which there is a pressure drop produced by gravity.
Persian Crust, vegetable tanned leather made from the hair type sheepskin originating in the
Indian sub-continent and tanned in India, mainly in the South, and especially around
Madras (Chennai).
Persian Leather made from crust, vegetable tanned leather made from the hair type sheepskin
originating in the Indian sub-continent and tanned in India, mainly in the South, and
especially around Madras (Chennai).
Persian skiver Thin grain layer, split after dressing from an E.I. (East Indian) tanned sheepskin.
pH Term used to describe the hydrogen-ion activity of a system, that is the acidity or the
alkalinity. The pH range is generally from 0 to 14, with pH 7 being neutral. Less than pH
7 is acid, with pH 0 being the strongest acidity. Above pH 7 is alkali, with pH 14 being
the strongest alkalinity.
pH Difference figure Difference between the pH of a solution, for example, water extract of a leather, and
the pH of the same solution diluted ten-fold. It is an index referring to the amount of
free acid. Often shown as “∆ pH”.
Phosphatide tannage Tannage with phosphatide-containing materials, such as brains, bone marrow and egg
yolk.
Phospholipids Compound whose products of hydrolysis include fatty acids and phosphoric acid; any
lipid containing phosphoric acid, especially one with a structure based on glycerol
phosphate.
Picking band leather Butt or sometimes shoulder leather with or without the hair, combination tanned (such
as oil/vegetable) or chrome tanned, curried to produce leather with high tensile, tear
and flexural strength, for use on textile looms.
Pickle Acid liquor, such as sulphuric acid and sodium chloride, used to preserve pelts and
hides and to prepare them for tanning.
Pickle meal Pickle prepared from fermented oats, barley, etc., and salt.
Pickle (v); pickling Treatment of pelts with an acid liquor, such as a solution of sulphuric acid and sodium
chloride, to preserve them or to prepare them for tanning, especially chrome tanning.
Pickle creases Occurs during the storage and/or transport of pickled stock. The creases are caused by
the partial drying out of the stock.
Pickled weight Weight of hides or skins after the pickling process and draining to approximately 55% to
60% moisture.
Pigment coat Finishing coat using organic or inorganic pigments in the finish preparation.
Pigment finished leather Leather to whose surface a finish containing fine pigment particles in suspension has
been applied. Sometimes called “doped”.
Pigment paste Homogenised, finely dispersed pigment paste manufactured by chemical suppliers.
Mainly offered with ready-to-use consistency.
Pigskin 1. Skin of a swine; in Britain the term applies to all swine; in the United States to
younger swine weighing less than 50 kilograms, the ‘heavier’ being called ‘hog’; hog-
skin = pigskin.
Pile (v); piling Lay wet tanned hides flat in a pile to drain and allow the tanning agent to become fixed.
Pilling Forming of small balls when a resin finish is applied by padding or brushing. Usually
caused by the presence of buffing dust or poor mechanical shear of the resin. See:
Balling up.
Pin seal Seal skin leather with a characteristic very fine pinhead pattern obtained by hand
boarding.
Pinhole - Bovine Enlargement of the individual hair follicles due to bacterial damage.
Pinhole - Ovine Defect of fine woolled sheepskins consisting of prominent small holes penetrating the
skin to a considerable depth but not through it. Caused by the gaps left by groups of
wool fibres which grow together in clumps and are pulled out together during
dewoolling.
Pinned vegetable sole leather Set out and rolled leather made from vegetable tanned cattle hide belly or shoulder.
Pit salted Curing of hides and skins by placing in a pit one by one, flesh-side upwards, sprinkling
each with solid salt as it is introduced and leaving in its own liquor until required.
Pit tannage Tannage, mostly for vegetable-tanned sole leather, carried out in a series of pits.
Pitting Indentations in the grain of the hide caused by large crystals of salt. The pressure of the
pile of hide adds to the formation of pitted areas.
Plastic surface laminated leather Leather covered with a sheet or film of plastic or other artificial material.
Note: Different countries limit the proportion or thickness of the plastic film in different
ways.
In the EU, Directive 94/11/EC dated 23 March 1994 lays down that if the synthetic layer
is thicker than 0,15 mm but less than one third of the total thickness, the composite
must be defined as "coated leather".
Plasticity Ability of a solid material, such as a finish film, to be deformed, bent or stretched,
without damage, and retaining the newly acquired shape.
Plasticiser Finishing agent added to a finish to increase the stretchiness and elasticity of the coat
and to render the film flexible during storage and use of the final leather products.
Plastometer Equipment to measure the tendency of a leather to recover the initial shape and
surface after having been subjected to a deformation. Note: Test methods IUP/21.
Plate (v); plating Mechanical finishing process used to subject the surface finish of a leather to a high
pressure from a heated, polished plate or cylinder to obtain desired smoothness, flow-
out, gloss and film formation.
Plated Finished leather which has received high-gloss, smoothness or film formation by using a
plating machine.
Plating marks Marks left by the plating machine either as join marks or edge marks. Edge marks can
be caused by the leather being in the incorrect condition when presented to the plating
machine.
Plating press Mechanical or hydraulic press where the leather is pressed to a heated smooth,
polished steel plate.
Plump Describes a hide or skin which is resistant to compression because the fibres have
become distended by water under the influence of osmotic forces.
Plump (v); plumping To become resistant to compression through distension of the fibres by water.
Plumping (swelling) tannage Tanning process designed to tan pelt in a plump, or swollen, condition.
Plumping force, (swelling) Osmotic, or other force, tending to cause collagen fibres or hide to plump or swell in an
aqueous solution.
Plush (v); plushing Subjection of the grain surface of leather to the action of a rotating, plush-covered
cylinder, or wheel, to give it a gloss. Sometimes a sheepskin covered wheel used for
removing dust from the nap raising process for suedes.
Plush pad Plush-covered pad for applying a liquid or solution evenly over the surface of leather by
hand.
Pocket - (Axillae) Part of the hide or skin which covered the hollow between the body of the animal and
each limb and which, in the flayed skin, forms a loose zone between the belly area and
the fore and hind shank.
Pod, (seed) Longish fruit of certain plants, consisting of a case containing seeds. Note: Algarobilla,
bablah, divi-divi, cascalote, teri.
Poisoned Dried hides treated with an aqueous solution (0,2% to 0,3%) of arsenous oxide
(dissolved with an equal weight of sodium carbonate) to prevent insect attack. After
‘poisoning’ the hides have to be dried again.
Pole dried Air drying method by hanging the leather lengthways over a pole.
Pole dryer Drying unit in which the leather hangs lengthways over a pole.
Polish (v); polishing Polishing of leather by means of special polishing machines with a rotating plush
covered wheel or cylinder. Stone cylinders, such as agate, are also used, heated by the
contact pressure, which give the leather a glossy effect.
Polishing agent Finishing auxiliaries containing mainly modified synthetic wax or oil emulsions to
achieve a smooth, glossy surface of the leather, or used as a polishing ground for aniline
or pull up finishes.
Polishing wheel A plush-covered, rotating wheel for polishing the grain of finished leathers.
Pollution load Quantity of emitted pollution. The parameters used to specify this pollution may be
BOD5, COD, etc.
Polyacid tannage Tannage with the iso- or hetero-polyacids of tungsten, molybdenum, vanadium or
silicon.
Polyacrylates General term for polymerisation products of the different acrylic acid esters and also
copolymers, occasionally with methacrylic acid esters, as well as some monomers
bearing amide groups.
Polyamide lacquer Used as top coating agents either alone or together with nitro-cellulose lacquers.
Copolymers which have obtained additional condensation with dicarboxylic acids and
diamines to be soluble in mixtures of alcohols and hydrocarbons.
Polyaromatic tannin Tannin agent whose molecule is composed of several joined aromatic nuclei; the term
includes the hydrolysable and condensed vegetable tannins, as well as most artificial
tannins.
Polymer binder Most important group of binders mainly used as polymer dispersions in finishing. Film-
forming as well as other finishing properties depend on the monomers used, the degree
of polymerisation and the varying components during copolymerisation.
Polymer dispersion Polymer binder preparation offered by chemical suppliers as ready-to-use dispersion
with a solids concentration of 30% to 60%.
Polymerisation tannage Process of tannage involving the introduction of monomers, or low molecular weight
polymers, into the pelt where they are polymerised to macro-molecules which are not
necessarily combined with the collagen, such as tannage by glyoxal or dialdehyde
starch.
Polynuclear complex Complex ion containing several central atoms, with ligands, bound to each other by
linking groups, such as o, oxo, etc. groups.
Polyphosphate tannage Process of tanning involving treatment with sodium polyphosphate in acid solution.
Polyurethane dispersion Polyurethane binder preparation offered by chemical suppliers as water soluble one-
component polyurethane dispersion. Modern top coating agents, used as well in
combinations with polyacrylates, polyesters and other thermoplasts.
Polyurethane finish Finish type using highly polymerised addition compounds on the basis of polyether or
polyester polyols. The binder preparations are dissolved in organic solvents as
reactive/non-reactive products or dispersed in water in crosslinking or non-crosslinking
form.
Polyurethane lacquer Finishing agents used in pigment preparations and as top coats. The products are highly
polymerised polyaddition compounds of polyether or polyester polyols and of aromatic
or aliphatic polyisocyanates. To be divided into reactive and non-reactive polyurethane
systems. The reactive systems have to be subdivided into two-component and one-
component systems.
Pony skin Leather traditionally made as a hair on product from pony skins
Poromeric Synthetic upper material, imitating leather, having a microporous structure, giving it
water vapour permeability.
(postmortem changes).
Potlife Maximum storage time of a certain finish preparation. If the prepared solutions are not
processed within this potlife they may loose their desired film-forming or finish
properties.
Pouring head Head of a curtain coating machine regulating the flow of a liquid finish onto the leather.
Pre-flesh (v); prefleshing Removal of more or less of the subcutaneous tissues, or flesh layer, at an early stage.
Premetallised dyestuff Type of anionic dyestuff which contains 1:1 or 1:2 metal complexes with metal atoms
(Fe, Cr, Cu).
Preservative pickle Pickle liquor having a composition specially adjusted to ensure preservation of the pelts
treated with it.
Preserve (v); preserving To treat something in such a way as to protect it against harmful influences.
Pre-soak Initial washing process in order to remove dirt, dung, etc., from the hides or skins.
Pretannage Incomplete and more or less superficial tannage of pelt with some special tanning agent
before the main tannage in order to facilitate this.
Pre-treatment First stage in the treatment process consisting of removing coarse solids, sand, gravel
and floating matter from wastewater.
Primary colour One of the three colours, red, blue and yellow, from which all other colours in leather
dyeing can be obtained by mixture.
Print retention Ability of the grain of the leather to retain a print pattern that has been applied by
means of pressure from an engraved plate or roller.
Printed grain Artificial or simulated pattern on the grain of the leather obtained by hydraulic plating
press or cylinder plating machines, using steel plates or rollers engraved with a desired
grain pattern instead of the ironing plate or roller.
Printed leather Leather bearing a surface pattern produced usually by embossing, but sometimes by
other methods. See: Embossed leather.
Protected leather Leather in which certain special chemicals have been incorporated to render it less
liable to deteriorate through exposure to polluted atmospheres.
Note: The treatment is often applied to vegetable tanned upholstery and bookbinding
leather.
Protective lacquer Finishing agent used in top coats applied in the finishing process to protect the leather
surface from soil, moisture and damage caused by impacts and scratching.
Protein binder Agents, such as blood albumen, egg albumen or casein, used in top coats.
Protein meal Protein supplement used in feedingstuffs for livestock. Usually produced by converting
packing house (abattoir) waste and livestock carcasses.
PU See: Polyurethanes.
Pull (v); pulling Pull off the wool from sweated, or painted, sheepskins.
Pull up effect Leather has a greasy feel and shows the pull up effect which means that on stretching
the former dark surface becomes lighter and shows more details of the grain structure.
This is usually achieved by the application of a special oil/grease.
Pulled wool Wool removed from a sheepskin by a fellmongering process.
Puller Something for pulling with or something which has to be pulled, such as a cord or the
slide of a zip-fastener.
Pulped hair Hair removed from hides and skins in the hair-pulping process.
Pulping Reduction of the hair on hides or skins to a mass of fine particles, or pulp, which can be
subsequently washed away.
Pure dressed Leather which has been dressed after tanning solely by the introduction of grease, this
being achieved by hand application of dubbin.
Purple heat Purple colouration found on the flesh side of salted hides after storage. Caused by salt
tolerant organisms that produce a purple pigment wax that is a type of quinone. This
purple colour is destroyed by acid.
Note: Pickling.
Putrefaction Hides and skins damaged and rendered evil-smelling by bacterial damage. See: Bacterial
damage.
Pyrethrum Naturally occurring contact insecticide. Synthetic pyrethrins have also been developed.
Pyrogallol tannin Tannin presumed to contain a pyrogallol nucleus because it gives a blue colour with a
ferric salt or yields fragments with a pyrogallol nucleus on alkaline fusion.
Pyrolysis Thermal treatment of a material (generally solid waste) producing gas, coke and
unburned residues under low concentration of oxygen.
LEATHER TERMS –Q
Quality manual Document that establishes the quality policy and describes the quality system of an
organisation.
Quick tannage Tanning process for the manufacture of vegetable sole leather, designed to achieve
completion in a much shorter time than by the classical methods of 5 to 10 days.
Quinone Aromatic compound of the formula O = C6H4 = O. Capable of combining vigorously with
collagen, giving a stable leather.
LEATHER TERMS –R
Raceway brining Raceway, such as a tank shaped like a racecourse, in which brine solution and hides are
moved around by a paddle, for brine curing of hides.
Raw hide lace Buffalo hide, limed, unhaired, dried out and lightly oiled, cut into strips for the purpose
of joining transmission belting.
Rawhide A more or less translucent product, made from bovine hides, with the hair and flesh
removed by liming, unhairing and fleshing, and dried out in the limed state, usually
without any tanning treatment.
Rawhide trimmings Pieces cut from raw hides or skins to give them a satisfactory shape.
Reactive dyestuff Dyestuff that contains functional groups capable of forming covalent bonds with active
sites in fibres, such as hydroxyl groups in cellulose, amino, thiol, and hydroxyl groups in
wool or amino groups in polyamides. These are especially suitable for gloves and other
garments required to withstand wet conditions and also dry-cleaning.
Reactive resin Resin which contains reactive organic groups, that are capable of attaching to the fibre
by chemical union.
Reconstituted leather Made by forming leather fragments and fibres into sheet material with the aid of
adhesives, resins, etc.
Recycle (v); recycling Recovery and/or reuse of what would otherwise be a waste material.
Red heat Red colouration found on the flesh side of salted hides after storage. Caused by salt
tolerant (halophilic) bacteria that are aerobic so they stay on the surface of the hide.
Long term storage of hides with red heat can lead to pitting of the surface. The origin of
salt may influence the development of red heat, with marine salt containing high levels
of halophilic bacteria compared to rock salt. Kiln dried solar evaporated salts have been
found to be free of halophilic bacteria.
Reduced chrome liquor Solution of trivalent chromium salts, mainly basic sulphates, prepared by the reduction
of a dichromate solution, by sulphur dioxide or by an organic substance, such as
glucose, in the presence of acid; used for chrome tanning.
Re-dye (v); re-dyeing Subject a previously dyed material (leather) to a second dyeing treatment, which could
be in a similar or different colour.
Reed bed Also called reed bed filters (RBF). The process does not rely on microbial degradation as
a major process but uses the reactive/adsorptive potential of soil and the uptake by
plants. A system successfully used for treatment of COD.
Refrigeration 1. The science of producing and maintaining temperature below that of the surrounding
atmosphere.
2. Extract heat from a body or substance by lowering the temperature of the body, such
as a hide or skin, and by keeping its temperature below that of its surroundings.
Rein Long, narrow leather strap, each end of which is attached to the bit and which is used
to guide or check a horse.
Rejects Hide, skin or leather of inferior quality to the established grades and usable only for
poor quality articles or not at all.
Rendement Yield figure for a vegetable-tanned leather calculated from its analysis, namely the
weight of leather at 14 % moisture content per 100 parts hide substance.
Rendered tallow Harder kinds of fat (melted down) obtained from cattle and sheep body tissue by
rendering, using either a heat process or a heat and chemical process.
Render (v); rendering 1. Convert packing house (abattoir) waste, livestock carcasses and tannery waste,
such as fleshings, into industrial fats and oils (for instance tallow for soap) and various
other products (for instance fertilisers and protein supplement in feeding stuffs for
livestock).
Rendering plant Unit for the treatment of animal carcasses and waste offal in order to recover products
such as tallow. It is also a plant to treat some tannery waste (fleshings).
Repair bend Sole leather bend produced for the repair of footwear.
Replacement tannin Synthetic tanning agent which can largely, or entirely, replace the vegetable tannins
without fundamentally altering the tanning process or the character of the finished
leather.
Resalted Treated with salt for a second time to ensure thorough saturation and hence better
preserving properties.
Research & Development (R&D) Work directed towards the innovation, introduction, and improvement of products and
processes.
Reset (v); resetting Treatment to increase the area of the hide or skin for the second time.
Reshaving Giving hides and skins a second shaving to ensure a correct and level thickness. See:
Shave (v); shaving.
Resin Organic substance of natural origin, (exuded in the sap of trees and plants) with high-
molecular weight, amorphous, and sticky. These substances could be insoluble in water,
but soluble in several organic solvents.
Resin Organic substance of synthetic resins, made by polymerisation or polycondensation,
with similar properties to natural resins, such as the polyacrylates.
Resin binder Material such as polyacrylate, for incorporation in a pigmented finish to fix the pigment
and form a film.
Resin finished Leather with a pigment finish, incorporating a synthetic resin binder.
Resin retannage Second tannage with a resin, generally for filling purposes, applied in the post-tanning
operation after the primary tannage.
Resin tannage Deposition within the fibres of pelt, or leather, of high molecular, water-insoluble
polymerisation, polyaddition or condensation, products without these and the fibres
necessarily combining.
Resin tannin High molecular weight organic polymerisation, or condensation, product deposited
within the fibres of pelt or leather without combination necessarily occurring;
introduced either as a water solution and deposited through subsequent growth of
molecular size (urea or melamine/formaldehyde condensates, vinyl or acrylic
compounds) or as water dispersions (dicyandiamide/ formaldehyde condensates); used
for pre-tanning and for filling leather.
Resin top coat Synthetic resin used as a film-forming agent to give a protective top coat.
Resinous spue Resinous exudation onto the surface of leather, which may be difficult to dissolve in
organic solvents.
Resist Substance which is applied to the tips of the hairs of furskins to protect them from
uptake of dye whilst the shafts are dyed.
Resist wax Wax mixture applied to the elevated areas of an embossed leather to prevent these
taking up dye.
Restraining action Slow down the dye uptake, by means of certain ionogenic (inorganic and organic)
auxiliaries.
Retan (v); retanning Subject an already tanned leather to a further tanning treatment to modify its
properties, using an agent of the same, or entirely different, type.
Retannage Modifying second tanning treatment, applied to leather that has already received a
primary tannage to modify some of its properties, using an agent of the same, or an
entirely different, type.
Retanned leather Leather which has been subjected to an additional tannage with similar or other
tanning materials.
Retanning material Substance of diverse chemical properties able to be used in the retannage to impart
specific properties to the leather.
Reticular layer The deeper layer of the dermis formed by interlacing fascicle of white fibrous tissue.
See: Dermis.
Reticular tissue The inner, thick, dense layer of the dermis that blends into the subcutaneous
connective tissue. Reticular tissue, because of its netlike structure is also known as
‘fibre network layer’. The reticular tissue forms the major part of leather, hence the
properties of leather depend to a considerable extent upon the condition of the
reticular tissue in the finished leather.
Reverse calf Water-resistant suede calf leather finished on the flesh side.
Reverse coating Application of finishes by a roller coater where the print roll is counter-rotating to the
leather fed through the machine.
Reverse lamb High-grade gloving leather with a suede finish on the flesh side, made from the skins of
slink or unweaned lambskins.
Reverse Osmosis (RO) Filtration process which consists of applying greater pressure on the water than the
osmotic pressure, in order to force the water to pass through a semi-permeable
membrane against the direction taken by the natural osmosis process. This technique is
used in the production of drinking water from salt or brackish water. It retains particles
of between 0,01 nanometre and 1,0 nanometre.
Reverse side Water-resistant suede side leather finished on the flesh side.
Rib lines Generally not visible in the raw but become apparent mainly in the neck and shoulder
when the skin is held up to the light in the limed state. See: Blind rib.
Ribbiness Naturally occurring defect in woolled sheepskins, especially of the merino, finer wool
types, consisting of numerous long, raised ridges on the surface, usually running across
it in parallel lines from the backbone to the belly and flanks.
Ringworm Naturally occurring defect in woolled sheepskins, especially of the merino, finer wool
types, consisting of numerous long, raised ridges on the surface, usually running across
it in parallel lines from the backbone to the belly and flanks.
Rock salt Common salt obtained by direct mining of underground deposits in contrast to that
obtained by evaporation of brines or solar evaporation. Calcium, potassium and
magnesium compounds commonly occur with rock salt.
Roll (v); rolling Mechanical process after drying performed, for example, on vegetable tanned sole
leathers. The purpose is to give the leather fibre structure a high density by high
pressure to improve the stiffness and water resistance.
Roller coating Application of finishes by a roller coater machine. Most advanced and most economical
coating of leather.
Roller leather Leather with compact structure, smooth, fine grain, of high resistance to abrasion,
smooth flesh side and firm feel; made from chrome, chrome/synthetic or synthetic
tanned calfskins or sometimes sheepskin, for high draft belting in cotton spinning
machinery, or from skins of calf or close structure sheep, mainly in natural colour or
dyed red for covering rollers in such machinery. When used for belting it is sometimes
interlaid with different colour synthetic materials. Uniform thickness of a tolerance not
exceeding ± 0,05 mm is essential.
Rope damage If rope is used for tying bundles of hides and skins for shipping, the rope should be oil-
free. Oiled rope may form stains on the hides which will show in the finished leather.
Rough tanned leather Leather which after tanning has not been further processed.
Note: It can be in a damp or dry condition. Differentiation is made between (a) wet blue
leather which has not been fat-liquored and is in a damp condition and (b) crust leather
which has been vegetable, chrome or combination tanned and which has been dried.
In the UK the term "rough tanned" is used chiefly in connection with vegetable tanned
hide leather, such as rough tanned strap butts. See: Crust leather.
Roughness Rough surface feel to the finish of the leather. Possible causes are poor buffing,
contamination in the finish, solvent finish too dry
Note: The solvent evaporates even before the finish reaches the surface of the leather,
etc.
Round feel Term used to describe the feel of a leather which is full, soft and flexible.
Rubbed grain Grain enamel that has been damaged by bacterial, mechanical or chemical action. See:
Low grain/sueded grain.
Run (v); running Paddle or drum goods, continuously or intermittently, to treat hides and skins in
different operations in beamhouse, tanning and post-tanning.
Run mark If concentrated chemicals come into direct contact with hides or skins, damage can be
caused. This damage is seen in the form of run marks where the concentrated chemical
has spread over an area of the hide.
Run pelt Sheepskin dewoolled by sweating whose grain and flesh surfaces have become pitted,
or liquefied, in spots by a worm-like organism.
Russet leather Vegetable tanned cattle hide leather which has been dressed ready for staining or
finishing.
In the UK sometimes termed "skirt leather". The leather may now be combination or
chrome tanned.
Russia calf A calf leather tanned with the bark of willow, poplar and larch, curried on the flesh side
with a mixture containing birch tar oil which gives it a characteristic odour.
Russia leather Smooth finished, dyed side or calf leather scented with birch tar oil, vegetable tanned
and made in imitation of the old-fashioned genuine Russia calf. Now also chrome or
combination tanned and given water-repellent properties.
LEATHER TERMS –S & T
Sadden Reduce the proportion of incident light reflected, scattered and/or emitted by a dyed
material, by addition of a complementary colour in the dyeing mixture.
Safety device Device which eliminates or reduces risk, alone or associated with a guard.
Saladero 1. In Spain and Latin America a slaughterhouse where meat is also prepared by
drying or salting.
2. Saladero hide, a cattle hide from Argentina corresponding to the USA small
packer.
Salt (v); salting Any treatment of hides and skins with a salt for preservation.
Salt diffusion Penetration of salt into the fibrous tissue of the hide or skin.
Salt shake-off Removing loose salt and foreign material from a salted hide.
Salt spue Soluble inorganic salts can give spue problems in finished leather. Perspiration on
vegetable tanned insole leather can cause inorganic salts to migrate to the surface
forming a crystalline spue. Inorganic salts used in chrome tanned leather, if not
removed by thorough washing, can also give spues.
Salt stability Ability to remain unaltered and stable by the addition or action of salts.
Salt uptake Amount of salt taken up, or absorbed, when hides or skins are treated with salt.
Samm (v); samming Bring leather to uniformly semi-dry state (approximately 50% to 60% water content)
necessary for certain finishing operations, by passing it through the sammying machine
or by pressing.
Sampling Obtaining of small representative quantities of material for the purpose of analysis.
Sand/grit removal Gravitational separation in wasterwater of gravel, sand and other materials whose
density is higher than that of water.
Note: Santalum album (India), Santalum cygnorum (Western Australia); bark of latter
contains 20% to 22% tannin.
Sandwich dyeing A two or more staged dyeing process. Sandwich dyeing consists of changing the charge
of the penetrated dyed leather before applying the second dye offer, which remains
essentially on the surface. The second dye offer has an opposite charge to that of the
leather.
Sanitary certificate Document in which a sanitary fact is formally certified or attested. In the case of the
leather industry, documentary evidence for the harmlessness from a health point of
view of a batch of fresh or cured hides or skins.
Saponifiable fatty matter (grease) Fatty matter which is capable of conversion to soap by the action of an alkali.
Saponify (v); saponification Alkaline hydrolysis or decomposition of an ester to produce the components salt and
alcohol which, in the cases of animal and vegetable oils, fats, and waxes, are
respectively a soap and glycerol or a higher monohydric alcohol.
Saturated acid Fatty acid derived from the saturated series of aliphatic hydrocarbons.
Saturated air Air which is holding the maximum proportion of water vapour possible under the given
temperature and pressure conditions.
Saturated brine Saturated solution of sodium chloride; used for brining hides.
Saturated fatty acid Fatty acid which has no double bonds in the carbon chain. Organic compound with the
chemical formula Cn H2n+1 COOH.
Sausage casings Tubular material for sausage manufacture, made from intestines, disintegrated hide
and skin pieces and splits.
Scab Pimples caused by various bacterial attack eventually break and the exudate dries,
giving a scab. Also refers to sheep scab - mange.
Scald damage Localised damage caused to hides or skins by direct contact with steam pipes or hot
water.
Scalding 1. The action of burning with very hot liquid or steam
2. Wash and clean the carcass of an animal with boiling water, to remove hair,
feathers, etc.
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) Type of electron microscopy in which a beam of electrons, a few hundred angstroms in
diameter, systematically sweeps over the specimen; the intensity of secondary
electrons generated at the point of impact of the beam on the specimen is measured
and the resulting signal is fed into a cathode-ray-tube display which is scanned in
synchronism with the scanning of the specimen.
Scar tissue Fibrous (more or less distorted) connective tissue of which scars (permanent marks left
on the skin after the healing of a wound), are formed.
Scars - closed/healed Scars caused by healed lesions of the hide or skin. This damage originally caused by
mites, ticks, brands, scratches, etc.
Scars - open Typically a scratch on the hide which has not yet healed. Any other infestation that has
not yet healed to form a solid scar.
Scour (v); scouring Process of cleansing and/or smoothing a surface by abrasion, such as a heel or sole.
Scraper A scraper bridge is used in a settler to bring the sludge in a specific zone of the settling
tank ready for collection.
Scraps Parings, shavings, cuttings, trimmings and other fragments of skin or leather formed
during the manufacture of leather or leather articles.
Scratch Damage to the surface of the hide or skin caused by such things as barbed wire,
inoculations, shearing, machinery within the tannery, etc.
Screening (fine or coarse) Retention of solid matter of more or less large size with the help of a screen which is
calibrated accordingly.
Scud Pasty mixture of hair fragments, lime soaps, fatty matters, etc., forced out of hide or
skin by scudding.
Scud (v); scudding Working over the grain surface of limed, or bated, pelt with a blunt-bladed tool, by
hand or machine, to eliminate hair fragments, pigment granules, lime soaps and other
impurities.
Scud defects Improper removal of partially destroyed cells, hair roots, pigment and fats left in the
hair pockets after soaking, liming and bating. Scud that is not removed can lead to an
uneven colour of the grain and, in the worst cases, roughness of the surface.
Scudding knife Double–handled, concave, blunt knife, used on the grain side of dehaired hides and
skins to work out hair fragments, pigment granules, lime soaps, etc.
Scuff marks Grain enamel of the leather can be damaged by sharp or rough internal parts of
tannery processing vessels. Scuff marks cause devaluation particularly of full grain
leathers.
Sea water damage Damage caused to hides or skins during transport by sea from wetting with sea water.
Seal (v); sealing Applying a special finish to seal the surface of the leather to assist further finishing.
Also, this term is used to describe a protective top coat.
Sebum Highly complex mixture of lipids (triglycerides and phospholipids) secreted by the
sebaceous glands and epithelial waste which diffuses upward in the follicle and
impregnates the hair and surrounding horny layers of the skin to participate in forming
the greasy skin surface film.
See: Phospholipids.
Secotherm dryer Dryer in which the leather is pasted on to the sides of a stainless, or enamelled, steel
chamber maintained at 95 °C for chrome leather and at 50 °C for vegetable leather.
Sedimentation Method for elimination of solids by the means of settling from a liquor.
Seed/grass Seeds/grass caught in the wool of sheep. These can penetrate the grain causing
permanent damage. Also lower the grade and value of the wool.
Self-basifying chrome powder Mixture of a basic chromium sulphate powder and a slowly-dissolving alkaline
compound, such as calcium or magnesium carbonate.
SEM See: Scanning Electron Microscopy.
Semi-aniline leather Leather which has been aniline dyed or stained, incorporating a small quantity of
pigment, not so much as to conceal the natural characteristics of the hide.
Semi-chrome leather Leather which has been tanned first with vegetable tannin and then re-tanned with
chromium salts.
Semi-drying oil Fatty oil, which could give a sticky and tacky film on exposure to air by
homopolymerisation, with iodine value of 110 ± 10.
Semi-tanned leather Leather which may not be sufficiently tanned to be satisfactory in use, though it may
be stuck-through by the tanning agent, East India tanned sheep, goat skins, etc.
Semi-tannin Organic constituent of a vegetable tanning material which may be taken up from an
infusion made from it by hide or hide powder under certain conditions, such as in the
filter bell method of analysis, but does not possess tanning properties; may be a
phenolic tannin precursor.
Sensitise (v) ; sensitising Generally applied to chemical substances or preparations or even materials which,
when in contact with the skin of a person or an animal, cause a skin irritation.
Set (v); setting out Operation of working over the grain surface of wet leather to remove excess water, to
eliminate wrinkles and granulations, to give the leather a good pattern and to work
out stresses so that the leather lies flat.
Setting out pleats Pleats, generally around the edges of the leather caused by incorrect setting out by
machine. Can lead to extra trimming and loss of area yield.
Settling tank Tank in which suspended solids and colloids (in the form of floc after coagulation-
flocculation stage) are separated.
Sewage (raw) Untreated wastewater which is discharged after domestic or industrial use.
Sewage system Piping system used to transport untreated waste water to the effluent treatment
plant.
Shade dried Dried by exposure to air whilst stretched on a frame and protected from the sun, such
as in a shed.
Shadow finishing Shading of certain parts of the leather in footwear and other leather products, usually
by the leather manufacturer. Applies particularly to embossed leathers where a
contrasting colour between the peaks and the valleys is achieved.
Shake method Method to evaluate the tannins and non-tannins content in a liquid or a material (in
solution) by measuring the amount of matter bound by the hide powder after shaking
it together.
Shank Flat, fingerlike slab of material inserted between outsole and insole to reinforce the
raised area of the foot arch against body weight and stress. The shank may be in
metal, wood, fibreglass, plastic or other material.
Shape-retention ability Ability of a shoe to retain its original shape with wear.
Sharpen (v); sharpening Intensify the action of a lime liquor upon hides or skins by addition of a chemical.
Shave (v); shaving Reduce and/or level the thickness of leather, suitable for its intended end-use, by
cutting fine, thin fragments from the flesh side by a machine with a rapidly revolving
bladed cylinder (or by a suitable hand knife).
Shavings Small pieces of leather shaved off when the thickness of wet or dry tanned leather is
rendered uniform by a bladed cylinder.
Shearing damage Nicks or larger cut in the grain caused by shears used for clipping wool or cutting off
dung from hides.
Shearling Pelt of a woolled sheep, about one year old, slaughtered soon after shearing and
bearing wool about ½ inch to 1 inch (1,0 cm to 2,5 cm) long or the tanned and dressed
skin of a sheep still bearing the original wool which has been cut to an approximately
even length.
Sheepskin 1. 1. Leather from the unsplit skin of a sheep from which the hair or wool has
been removed.
3. 3. Leather made from the skin of a wool sheep and still bearing the original
wool.
Sheepskin prefleshing Fleshing machine for the removal of fat deposits and the subcutaneous tissue
(hydodermis, flesh layer) at an early stage during processing. Prefleshing is usually
performed after soaking, as soon as the skins (especially air-dried sheepskins), are
flexible enough to pass through the deburring machine for the removal of burrs.
Short Chain Chlorinated Paraffin (SCCP) Paraffin (organic hydrocarbonate substance) with the formula
R-Cl, where R group represents a short-chain alkyl radical containing between less than
14 carbon atoms, used as emulsifying or fatliquoring agents, to give softness to
finished leather.
Short Chained Sulphochlorinated Paraffin (organic hydrocarbonate substance) with the formula R-SO2-Cl, where R group
Paraffins (SCSCP) represents a short-chain alkyl radical containing between less than 14 carbon atoms,
used as emulsifying or fatliquoring agents, to give softness to finished leather.
Short Term Exposure Limit (STEL) See: Threshold Limit Value - Short Term Exposure Limit.
Short term preservation That period of preservation extending from hide or skin removal from the carcass to a
week or two, or at best three weeks.
Short term curing Treatment of hides and skins by a method which will preserve them for a few days
only.
Shoulder Fore part of a cattle hide covering the shoulders and the neck of the animal, with or
without the head. A squared shoulder is obtained by cutting off the head including the
cheeks and face.
Shoulder Leather made from the fore part of a cattle hide covering the shoulders and the neck
of the animal, with or without the head.
Shrinkage Decrease in dimensions of skins, hides or leather produced by any cause, such as moist
heat.
Shrinkage temperature (Ts) Temperature at which a leather decreases in length and width (shrinks) when heated
under specific conditions, for example, when heated in water.
Shrunken grain Grain shrunken by a special beamhouse and tanning treatment that shrinks the leather
to give the surface a unique fine-wrinkled effect. Used chiefly on kid, calf or other light
leathers.
Shrunk-leather tannin Very astringent tanning agent which produces considerable contraction of the grain.
Side Half of a whole cattle hide with the attached offal (head, shoulders and belly)
obtained by dividing it along the line of the backbone.
Side leather Shoe upper leather made from cattle hide sides.
Silicofluoride (SSF) Sodium silicofluoride (SSF), paste (12% moisture) or crystalline salt (Na2SiF6) used as an
additive to salt in curing of hides, SSF prevents development of red heat, chromogenic
and other bacteria. As an insecticide it is toxic or repellent to a wide range of insects
including hide beetles and moths.
Silicone Applied on dried leather, finished leather or leather products to impart water
repellency.
Silk sheen Silky suede with a two-way nap to give a plush appearance.
Silver leather Leather with a silvery white, metallic lustre, produced by applying silver, or more
commonly, aluminium leaf or an aluminium lacquer.
Sinker Older form of layer, formed by half-filling a pit with tan liquor upon the surface of
which a wooden grid (sinker) is floated. Hides are then spread, one by one upon the
grid with shanks and head folded in, and each covered with a lesser or greater amount
of ground tanning material until the pit is nearly full.
Skin Tissue forming the outer covering of the body (human and other animal bodies), tough
and flexible.
Skin grease Broad term for the material extracted from dried skins by means of a fat solvent.
Skirting leather Cattle hide leather, specially tanned and dressed for the skirts of saddles.
Note: Sometimes applied to goatskin. In Germany and Spain the term is also used for
the grain split of a raw sheep pelt.
Slaked lime Lime which has been treated with a more or less excess of water to convert it to a
pasty mass of calcium hydroxide.
Slate (v); slating Work over the grain surface of delimed, or delimed and bated, hides and skins with a
blunt, rectangular slate or stone tool to eliminate impurities.
Slats Sheepskins dewoolled, usually by sweating, and dried out without tanning.
Sleeker (slicker) Hand tool consisting of a blunt blade, usually of slate and sometimes set in a wooden,
two-ended handle used for scudding skins.
Slink lamb Tanned and dressed sheepskin bearing fine curly wool made from the pelt of a still-
born or young lamb.
Slippery pelt Pelt difficult to keep a firm grip on during such operations as fleshing.
Slippy hide Raw hide whose hair, locally or all over its area, has become loose and easily
removable by rubbing or scraping, owing to bacterial action which may have also
caused other damage.
Slow-tanned sole leather Light-weighing, unbleached, vegetable-tanned, cattle hide bottom leather, pit-tanned
in cold liquors for up to 12 months (in the UK 5-6 months and in France usually 12
months), the process including layering for several months.
Note: In the UK and France, the basis of the process is oak bark and in Austria and
Switzerland a combination of pine bark and oak.
Sludge This generally refers to the residual sediment which results from wastewater
treatment. The wastewater can be either urban or industrial.
Sludge (chrome) Refers to the sludge obtain through the physical and chemical treatment of pretanning
and tanning bath. Chromium concentration of the chrome sludge is generally above 50
g/kg dry matter.
Sludge cake Sludge which has been partially dewatered by a filter press to the point where it can
be handled easily.
Sludge drying bed An open or covered area in which wastewater sludge is dried by drainage and
evaporation.
Sludge swelling Phenomenon which results in excessive volume and poor settling of sludge in an
activated sludge wastewater treatment plan. Biofilters are not affected by sludge
swelling.
Sludge thickening Initial treatment intended to increase the concentration of solids in sludge by
removing water.
Smoke tannage Tannage by treatment of pelts and fur skins with wood-fire smoke.
Smooth feel Characteristic of the surface over which the fingers move without feeling irregularities
of any kind.
Snow top Woolled sheep or lambskins tanned and dressed with the wool on where the tip of the
wool has been coloured by a deposition of a mixture of lead and antimony complexes.
Snow top dyeing Dyeing process which precipitates a mixture of lead and antimony complexes onto the
wool. Disperse dyestuffs can replace the lead salt dyestuffs in order to avoid pollution.
Snuff (v); snuffing Removal of a minimal thickness of the grain layer by abrasion.
Soak (v); soaking Treating hides or skins with water, sometimes with the addition of an assistant or
disinfectant, to cleanse them, remove salt and other soluble matter and to rehydrate
and soften them.
Soak weight Weight of rehydrated hide to maximum uptake of water and then drained to
approximately 70% moisture.
Soak-back Soak hides or skins, especially dried ones, in water, to restore, as far as possible, the
original water content and softness.
Soda ash White solid sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) with many applications in the beamhouse and
tanning operations.
Sodium bicarbonate Inorganic chemical (Na HCO3), white powder, soluble in water, and faintly alkaline.
Sodium carbonate Inorganic chemical (Na2 CO3), white powder, soluble in water, and mildly alkaline.
Sodium chloride Colourless crystalline compound, NaCl, occurring naturally as halite and in sea water;
common salt. Sodium chloride is used in great quantities for the conservation of raw
hides and skins and in leather making (pickling).
Sodium formate Inorganic chemical (Na HCOO), with basic properties in water solution.
Softening Mechanical processes after drying such as staking or milling to achieve desired
softness of leather.
Softy leather Generic term for very soft and flexible upper leather.
Sole leather Leather tanned and finished for the outsoles of footwear.
Sole leather bend Leather made from the bend region of cattle hide, tanned and finished to be suitable
for the outer soles of footwear.
See: Bend.
Solo tanning agent Chemical substance, extracted from plants or synthetically prepared, which, when
used alone, is capable of converting pelt into usable leather.
Solvent Liquid substance that is able to turn a solid substance into liquid. Special products are
used in finish preparations to adjust the rate of evaporation which is necessary for film
formation and to achieve desired finish properties.
Solvent fatliquoring Introduction of a certain amount of lubricant into leather by drumming the damp
leather with a comparatively high boiling point hydrocarbon solvent, such as naphtha,
containing 0,5% to 1,0% of a highly-polar, water-insoluble agent, which remains after
evaporation of the solvent.
Solvent free finish Water soluble finishing systems. Solvent-based finishing systems, which cause
ecological and health and safety problems, are rapidly being replaced by aqueous
systems.
Solvent modifier Organic liquid, such as toluene, which alone does not dissolve nitrocellulose, but in
conjunction with a true solvent, such as alcohol, does so. Used to adjust the rate of
evaporation.
Solvent soluble dyes Metal complex dyes soluble in organic solvents used in finish preparations.
Solvent-rubbing fastness Ability to retain surface colour when rubbed with a cloth or pad wetted with solvent.
Sort (v); sorting Select articles, and separate into groups with similar attributes or properties such as
size, thickness, colour, etc.
Sorting in colour Sorting of dyed skins against a standard colour sample to ensure correct dyeing colour
skin to skin.
Sour milk pickle Liquor made from sour milk used for dressing certain skins, such as Astrakhan.
Speck Very small damaged, or modified area on a hide or skin, of different colour, glossiness,
etc., on leather, spoiling its appearance.
Speckled finish Uneven and spotted appearance to the surface finish caused by incorrect atomisation
of the pigment finish through the spray guns.
Speed of tanning Rate at which a tanning process occurs, as measured by rate of penetration of the
material into the hide, weight increase, etc.
Spent tan Vegetable tanning material from which the tannin has been extracted.
Split (v); splitting The operation of cutting a hide or skin horizontally into two or more layers.
Split leather Leather made from the outer (hair or grain) layer of a hide or skin from which the
under, or flesh side, has split off to give a material of suitable and/or uniform
thickness.
Splits Leather made from the middle or under layer split from a hide or skin.
Spray (v); spraying Apply a liquid in the form of very fine droplets.
Spray chamber Enclosed compartment of a spraying line which houses the automatic spray guns, with
a suitable exhaust system.
Spray dyeing Dyeing with the application of a dyestuff solution in the form of very fine droplets with
a spraying device, such as pistol or gun.
Spray finish Most common application method for finishes using different spraying methods such
as by means of compressed air or airless spraying.
Spray head Unit in an automatic spraying plant which performs the spraying operation.
Spray jet Fine orifice through which a liquid is passed to convert it to a spray of fine drops.
Spray nose Finishing defect. Caused mainly by manual wet spraying of leathers hung up vertically.
If the finish preparation has a low viscosity the wet coat begins to run after spraying,
forming raised dye or film grooves which are named spray noses.
Spray staining Application of a spray finish to colour the surface of undyed leather or to give
improved levelness of drum dyed shades.
Spray streaks Defect caused by irregular overlapping of the sprays of an automatic spraying
machine. Correct adjustment of the spraying gun system and the conveyor speed will
overcome the problem.
Spraying arm Arm carrying the spray heads revolves above the leather travelling beneath it.
Spraying booth An enclosure in which leather can be laid or suspended for manual spraying, fitted
with an exhaust system for removing the spray vapour.
Spreading agent Agent added to improve the liquidity of a finishing coat to obtain a coherent wet
surface and improve flow-out.
Springbok Medium-sized Southern African antelope, characterised by leaping into the air when
fleeing.
Spruce Bark of common pine used in Germany and Central Europe to prepare larch extract.
Spue (v); spueing Exude, through pores, a substance from the interior to the surface of a leather.
Squeeze, (centrifuge) Exert pressure on to a material, from opposite or all sides, especially to extract
moisture from a material.
Stability Property of a chemical compound which is not readily decomposed and does not react
with other compounds.
Stack (v); stacking Placing individual hides or skins, raw, in process or in the finished state, flat upon each
other for storage transport, etc.
Stack curing Method of curing hides by salting them down in a stack or pile.
Stacking marks Marks resulting from piling hides or skins on top of each other, leading the outline of
one skin to be imprinted onto the next skin. Often caused by piling leather that is too
damp or making the piles too high.
Stain (v); staining Colour the surface of leather by applying a dye solution to it by a brush or pad.
Stake (v); staking Separate, soften and stretch the fibres of the leather by mechanical action, by hand or
machine.
Staking wheel A narrow revolving wheel, with a row of curved, blunt blades projecting radially from
its circumference, used for staking.
Stale Hide or skin which has undergone putrefactive damage owing to delayed curing, or
prolonged storage, leading to such changes as the development of smell, hair-slip,
deterioration of the corium, etc.
Stale-test A test method to detect delayed cure in hides (post-mortem deterioration). The
method depends on the action of proteolytic enzymes in the juice of the hide on the
gelatin of photographic film, under standardised conditions.
Staling Occurs when there is delayed or inadequate curing of raw hides. It can also occur in
cured hides when there are poor and prolonged storage conditions. Staling leads to
loss of substance, flankiness, pipiness, taint, veininess and poor break. The term staling
is also sometimes used in connection with sheepskins, when they are subjected to the
warm sweating process to loosen the wool.
Steam radiator Heating radiator, utilising steam, often installed in drying tunnels, such as used in
automatic spraying machines.
Steam sweating Type of sweating process for depilating hides or skins in which the requisite conditions
of humidity and temperature are maintained by injecting steam into the stove.
Steering wheel leather Leather suitable for covering the rim of the steering wheel of an automobile.
Stickiness Undesired property of a finish coat to adhere to other solids. Especially a problem of
thermoplastic binder systems which need heat treatment and pressure by plating for
the required film formation.
Sticking After the application of a surface finish, leather may be piled grain to grain and flesh to
flesh. If the surface finish has not been dried sufficiently, the two grain surfaces may
stick together. Separation causes damage to the finish and, in extreme cases, damage
to the grain. This may also occur if the finish mixture contains binders that are too soft.
Stiffness Characteristic of a leather which is quite rigid and therefore not very flexible.
Stillborn lambskin Skin of a lamb, dead when born, with its wool on, used to make garments and gloves.
See: Slink lamb.
Stirrup butt Strong flexible leather usually 4 mm to 5,5 mm thick, as level in thickness as possible
and with a close-shaved flesh.
Note: Made from ox hide rounded into butts approximately 5 ft. long (approximately
153 cm).
Stock (v); stocking Subject skins to mechanical action by stocks in the chamois- making process.
Strain (v); straining 1. Stretch the skins out on wooden frames by strings attached to holes cut in the edges
of the skins (shade dried).
2. To stretch and fix tanned hide or skin on a board or frame by nails, cords or toggles
so that it can be dried under tension.
Strain grain Mechanical damage caused to skins when they are pulled from the carcass. See:
Butcher strain.
Strap butt Rough tanned or curried butt leather, made from cattle hide, of tannage and quality
suitable for making into transmission belting.
Note: In Italy the term is usually applied to a tanned and well curried butt from which
bands are cut which are used as accessories in weaving looms.
Stretchability of a coat Soft leather has a great stretchability and therefore needs a coat which is flexible and
can be stretched in the same way.
Striker Metallic mordant, such as ferrous sulphate, used in dyeing with natural dyestuffs to
develop the colour.
Striping effect Spray pattern from a multi-gun spray machine is uneven and gives stripes of finish
across the surface of the leather. It is caused by incorrect alignment and settings of the
individual spray guns.
Struck-through Penetrated throughout the thickness of the hide or skin by dyes or other agents.
Stuff (v); stuffing Introduce a more or less solid mixture of oils, fats, waxes, etc., into leather by hand,
drumming or impregnation.
Stuffed leather Leather impregnated by hand or by drumming with a mixture of greases, waxes, oils,
etc.
Stuffing drum Drum, which can be heated by hot air, used for introducing grease in the molten state
into damp leather.
Stuffing grease Mixture of oils, fats and waxes and allied substances for application in the molten state
to leather.
Stun marks Mark on the grain caused by the use of a stun gun at the slaughter house.
Subcutaneous tissue Tissue beneath the corium, connecting it loosely to the underlying body part.
Suede Generic term for leathers whose wearing surface, either grain or flesh side, has been
finished to have a more or less fine, velvet-like nap, produced by abrasive action.
Suede calf Calf skin leather finished with a velvet-like nap on the flesh side.
Suede kid Goat skin leather finished with a velvet-like nap on the flesh side. Full chrome tanned.
Suede shearling Tanned and dressed sheepskin, bearing short wool, sueded on the flesh side.
See: Shearling.
Suede sheep Sheepskin leather finished with a velvet-like nap on the flesh side.
Suede side or butt Side or butt leather finished with a velvet-like nap on the flesh side.
Suede split Leather made from the flesh splits of hide or skin and finished with a velvet-like nap.
Sueded grain Grain enamel that has been damaged by bacterial, mechanical or chemical action. See:
Low grain/rubbed grain.
Sueded woolled sheepskin Sheepskin tanned and dressed with the wool on and finished on the flesh side with a
characteristic velvet-like nap.
Suint Dried perspiration of sheep deposited in the wool, chiefly in combination with fatty
acids, that is rich in potassium salts. Most of the suint is removed during wool
scouring.
Sulphated fatty alcohol Sulphuric acid ester of a higher fatty alcohol, saturated and unsaturated.
Sulphated oil Fatty oil rendered soluble or emulsifiable in water by treatment with concentrated
sulphuric acid, washing and partial neutralisation; contains -C-O-SO3H groups. Often
termed as sulphonated oil.
Sulphation Introduction of O–SO3H groups, and to a minor extent of –SO3H groups, generally into
glyceride and fatty acid molecules of certain animal and vegetable oils by treatment
with concentrated sulphuric acid, in order to make them self-emulsifiable.
Sulphato group Anionic inorganic group ( -SO42- ) held in a complex with water, amine or with other
cationic forms, to form salts.
Sulphide oxidation tank Aerated tank for the oxidation of sulphides with a catalyst (manganese sulphate).
Sulphitation Treatment of a product, such as animal and vegetable oils and synthetic oils, with
sulphite or bisulphite to render it water soluble or emulsifiable.
Sulphited oil Water emulsifiable oil obtained by treating an unsaturated fatty oil with bisulphite and
atmospheric oxygen.
Sulphochlorinated paraffin Paraffin hydrocarbon R-X, where the X group is –SO2Cl, introduced by chemical
treatment with SO3 and Cl2 .
Sulphonated oil Fatty oil into which -C-SO3H groups have been introduced; term often applied to
sulphated oils.
Sulphonation Introduction of sulphonic acid group or its salts (–SO3H) into organic compounds by the
action of concentrated sulphuric acid, SO3 or another chemicals, but often applied to
the treatment of oils, with sulphuric acid to render them emulsifiable, or soluble, in
water.
Sulphonic acid group Group –SO3H which can be introduced into organic compounds by the action of
concentrated sulphuric acid, SO3 or similar.
Sulphonyl chloride paraffin Paraffin hydrocarbon into which the –SO2Cl group has been introduced.
Sulphonyl chloride tannin Paraffin hydrocarbon into which the –SO2Cl group has been introduced with tanning
properties.
Sulphur dioxide Sulphur dioxide is a colourless, pungent gas used in the manufacture of chrome
tanning compounds, and has been tested as the active preservative agent for the short
(2-3 days) preservation of the so called (USA) “sanitised” or “fresh type” hides.
Sulphur dyestuff Sulphur-containing dyestuff, made by fusion of aromatic amines or phenols with
sulphur or alkaline polysulphide, which is only soluble in an alkaline solution of sodium
sulphide (pH 9-12).
Sulphur tannage Process of depositing colloidal sulphur within pelt by treating it with an acidified
solution of sodium thiosulphate; used in conjunction with other tanning and dressing
treatments, such as followed by treatment with grease and vegetable tannin in the
Melior process for picking band leather.
Note: Rhus coriaria (Sicily, Cyprus, Spain and other Mediterranean countries), Rhus
glabra and copallina (USA) and Rhus cotinus (North Italy, Dalmatia, southern Hungary).
Surface appearance Visible surface properties of a finished leather such as shade, lustre, colour,
smoothness, grain pattern etc.
Surface handle Physical surface properties of a finished leather, conveyed by feeling through the
fingers and hands, such as flexibility, greasy feel, smooth feel, velvety feel, round feel
etc.
Surfactant Substance introduced into a liquid to alter (usually to increase) its spreading, wetting
and similar properties (particularly properties depending on surface tension); can
cause foaming and hinder biological activity.
Surfactant effect Effect produced by a substance introduced into a liquid to alter (usually to increase) its
spreading, wetting and similar properties.
Suspended matter All suspended matter in water that is large enough to be retained on a filter with a
given porosity.
Suspended solids (SS) Mixture of fine, non-settling particles of any solid within a liquid or gas, the particles
being the dispersed phase, while the suspending medium is the continuous phase.
Suspender Pit, or vessel, containing a weak, more or less exhausted vegetable tanning liquor in
which hides are suspended during the preliminary stage of tanning heavy leather.
Sweat (v); sweating Process for loosening the attachment of the hair or wool of hides or skins by
maintaining them under such conditions of warmth and moisture that bacteria
develop and attack the hair roots and lower epidermal layer.
Sweat chamber Chamber in which the temperature and humidity can, if desired, be controlled and in
which hides or skins are suspended so that bacteria develop and loosen the hair or
wool.
Sweated hair Hair removed from hides or skins after loosening by subjection to the sweating
process.
Sweated wool Wool removed from the sheepskin after loosening by the sweating process.
See: Cold sweating; warm sweating.
Sweating damage Sweating is the process for loosening wool or hair in warm, moist conditions where
bacteria develop and attack the hair roots and epidermal layer. Unless carefully
controlled, further damage can be caused to the skin by increased bacterial activity.
Swedish scheme Cattle hide improvement project. Farmers that have joined the “Faultless Hide
Scheme” apply a programme of measures to improve hide quality and prevent grain
damage. The farmers are then paid for the improved quality that they achieve.
Sweet tan liquor Vegetable tan liquor which has not fermented and developed acid.
Swell (v); swelling Increase in volume owing to the absorption of a solvent, usually water.
Swell leather Butt leather, vegetable tanned or chrome tanned, of uniform thickness, processed to
give it heat or abrasion resistance. Acts as a friction brake in a loom shuttle box. Also
known in North America as “binder leather”.
Swelling and plumping Increase in volume and the development of rigidity and resistance to compression
occurring when a hide or skin is immersed in dilute acid or alkali.
Swelling pressure Pressure required to prevent a solvent, such as water, entering material, and causing it
to swell.
Swelling resistance Ability of a finished leather surface to resist swelling in contact with water or a solvent.
Syntan Abbreviation of the term synthetic tannin. Generally, these are prepared as salts of
polyphenolic-sulphonic acids, from different simple phenols or from natural phenolic
compounds (as lignosulphonates) by sulphonation and condensation.
Syntan tannage Generic term for various types of synthetic tanning agents that are used either before
or after the main tannage to impart specific characteristics to the leather.
Synthetic grease More or less solid, grease-like material, suitable for stuffing leather, based on synthetic
materials.
Synthetic moellon Water-in-oil emulsion, containing marine oil oxidation products, made by blowing air
through marine oil at a slightly elevated temperature and adding water.
Synthetic neatsfoot oil Oil for use in place of neatsfoot oil, based upon several synthetic chemical compounds.
Synthetic resin Artificially prepared organic material of high molecular weight, capable of being
moulded under the action of heat and/or pressure and made by the polymerisation
and/or condensation of simpler molecules.
Synthetic tannin Misnomer for an artificial tannin, aromatic, or aliphatic material capable of converting
animal skin into a product more or less resembling leather; includes materials which,
when used alone, can produce commercial leather, some resembling vegetable-tanned
leathers as originally intended (replacement tannins), as well as others for use with
vegetable tannins (auxiliary tannins).
Synthetic wax Solid, organic material, obtained by chemical synthesis. A substance which may consist
of a mixture of hydrocarbons or of esters, which has low melting point, insoluble in,
and lighter than, water, soluble in organic solvents, and having a slightly greasy feel.
Tackiness Condition of tackiness, which may be slight or may involve permanent sticking,
sometimes develops in a finish after application. The use of too much plasticiser and
the improper drying of base coats may be factors that cause tackiness.
Tailings Partially exhausted, ground tanning material obtained when layer pits are emptied.
Tail-liquor More or less exhausted suspender liquor to be run away from the bottom suspender
pit.
Taint Damage to the grain is very noticeable and is caused by putrefaction due to delays in
curing or from insufficient salting. Also know as salt prick, grain slip, grain peeling. Salt
prick is characterised by a superficial pitting effect; grain slip involves larger areas and
grain peeling is extensive damage which may result in areas of the skin actually
dissolving during the leather making process.
Take-up (v); taking up For a material, to remove a dyestuff (or a dyeing auxiliary) from a solution.
Tamarisk (tamarix) Ground leaves and twigs sometimes used as sumach adulterant.
Tan (colour) Brownish colour resembling that of typical vegetable tanned leather.
Tan (v); tanning Treating prepared hides or skins with suitable chemicals to give a fibrous product,
imputrescible when wet, more or less soft and flexible when dry and capable of being
wetted and dried without loss of these properties.
Note: Hides and skins are composed of collagen in a fibrous structure. The aim of
tanning is to form irreversible chemical crosslinks to the collagen matrix to prevent
degradation by bacterial, chemical or thermal action. Commonly used tanning agents,
applied individually or in combination, are chrome (III) salts, giving a typically blue
coloured leather, synthetic tanning agents, and organic vegetable tannins which give a
characteristic pale brown colour. Various other metallic products such as aluminium
and zirconium are also available as tanning agents.
Tan cake Blocks of compressed, and sometimes dried, spent tan for use as fuel in boilers.
Tannage Term used in describing a special type of tanning method, such as chrome tannage,
quick tannage.
Tanner People whose job is to convert animal hides or skins into leather by any process.
Tannery An establishment where hides or skins are converted into crust, wet tanned or finished
leather.
Tannin General term for the active tanning principles contained in vegetable tanning
materials.
Tannin balance Distribution of the actual amount of tannin introduced into the tanning process in the
finished leather (in the fixed and water-extractable forms), in the various liquors and
somehow lost in process.
Tanning degree Empirical way to evaluate the amount of tanning. It is expressed by the ratio between
the total amount of organic tannins bound to the leather and the hide substance.
Tanning process Operation in leather manufacture involving the treatment of the prepared pelt with
the tanning agent.
Tannin-non-tannin ratio Relation between the tannin and the non-tannin contents of a vegetable tanning
material, such as tannin per 100 parts non-tannin.
Taran Tannin-containing root of Polygonum alpinum, growing in the Caucasus and the Altai
mountains.
Taw (v); tawing Converting to leather with a mixture of alum, or aluminium sulphate, salt, wheat flour
and egg yolk.
Tawed leather Leather prepared with a mixture of which the essential active ingredient is an
aluminium salt, formerly, but not necessarily today, alum.
Note: Alum, salt, egg yolk and flour. The natural colour of the leather is white.
Tawing paste Mixture of alum, or aluminium sulphate, salt, wheat flour and egg yolk for use in
tawing or alum dressing.
Tear Caused by sharp objects on the living animal hide; damage during transit by hooks,
forklift trucks, etc. Mechanical machine damage in tannery processing.
Telopeptide Peptide located at the end of the collagen polypeptide chain. A non-helical region.
Telopeptides are split-off, for example, by pepsin.
Tender grain Grain surface which for some reason, such as excessive acidity of the leather, is easily
damaged by pulling, bending and rubbing.
Tenderness Tendency of a leather to break due to the fragility of the fibres or of the fibre texture.
Tensile strength Measure or test of a material extended at a specific rate until the forces reach a
predetermined value or until the material breaks. The tensile strength is recorded in
Newtons per square millimetre and there are facilities for recording the percentage
elongation caused by a specific load, and the percentage elongation at break.
Thermoplastic Property of a polymeric substance which, under thermal influences, becomes soft and
plastic.
Thermoplastic binder Polymer binders used to achieve film-forming and impart required properties to finish
coats.
Thio compound unhairing Removal of hair or wool from hides or skins by thio compounds.
Thirds Class of hide or skin suffering from certain defects which are more or less closely
defined and which depend upon the type of skin (cattle hide, calfskin, goatskin, etc.)
and the country of origin; not necessarily the lowest grade.
Three dimensional weave Interlacing, or running of the fibres and fibre bundles of the dermal tissue (dermis) in
the three dimensions.
Threshold Limit Value (TLV) Concentration threshold which is set specifically for each pollutant. Refers to the limit
accepted in the atmosphere of a working area (workshop, etc.). Is expressed in ppm or
in mg/m3.
Threshold Limit Value - Short Term Refers to a permissible 15 minutes exposure in an atmosphere contaminated with a
Exposure Limit (TLV - STEL) specific type of pollutant.
The concentration requirement must be fulfilled at any moment during the working
period.
Threshold Limit Value - Time Weighted Refers to a permissible exposure in an atmosphere contaminated with a specific type
Average (TLV - TWA) of pollutant.
Through-dyeing ability Ability of a dyestuff to dye leather throughout its substance or whole thickness.
Tick Small blood-sucking insect living on the skin of animals. Causes small pits or scars over
the animal’s skin.
Time lag The time between the animal being flayed and the period when the preservation agent
(for example, salt) becomes effective against the bacteria present in the hide or skin.
Tinctorial power Measure of the relative colour strength of a dyestuff.
Tinting dyestuff Dyestuff which gives a subtle alteration to the colour of a material.
Tip (v); tipping Colour the natural or artificially produced protuberances and elevations on a leather
surface.
Tip coloured mohair velours Coarse long-haired suede, surface dyed, with the ends of the fibres of a different,
usually lighter, colour to the base colour of the suede, produced by mechanically
teasing the flesh side to lengthen the fibre.
Tip dyeing Application of dye to natural or artificially produced protuberances on the leather
surface by means of a firm pad.
Tip-reserve Process for obtaining a two-tone effect on furskins by applying a “resist” to the tips of
the hairs before dyeing.
Tissue Association of large numbers of cells, fibres and other cell products in an animal or
plant body, having a common origin and performing a specialised function.
TLV- STEL See: Threshold Limit Value - Short Term Exposure Limit.
To and fro rubbing Test to evaluate the effect of rubbing a material such as leather with another (felt)
with a “to and fro” alternating movement.
Toggle (v) ; toggling The straining and fixing of leather onto frames with toggles. The purpose is to dry
leather keeping it under tension.
Toggle dryer Dryer in which the leather is dried whilst held under tension on frames by toggles.
Tone (colour) Net effect produced on the eye by the mixture of radiations reflected, emitted and/or
scattered by a material.
Tone (v); toning Adjust, correct or shade a colour, by subsequent addition of a dye.
Top (v); topping Make a second application of the same, or another, dye on top of a previous dyeing.
Top grease Finishing coating of a grease mixture applied to leather, to give it special properties,
such as gloss, or waterproofness.
Total carbon emission Emission to the atmosphere of organic compounds calculated in carbon equivalent.
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Quantity of dry material in a solution after its filtration.
Total fatty acids Content of higher fatty acids, free and combined, in a material.
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN) Determination of all nitrogen in a sample excluding ammonium nitrogen.
Total Organic Carbon (TOC) Indicates the content of carbon linked to organic material by measuring the CO2 after
complete oxidation.
Total Solids (TS) Total content of suspended and dissolved solids in a liquid or gas.
Total Suspended Solids (TSS) Total nonfiltrable residue on a standard glass fibre filter dish, after filtration and drying
at 103 °C to 105 °C for a minimum of 1 hour.
Toxic Product or preparation which may lead to death or acute or chronical health injuries
when inhaled, swallowed or absorbed through the skin in small quantities.
Toxic (reproductive) Substances or preparations which, by inhalation, ingestion or in contact with the
human skin, could increase the frequency of fatal non-hereditary effects for the
offspring or undermine the reproductive capacity of humans.
Transfer finish Thin film of transparent or pigmented polyurethane on a paper or other suitable
carrier which can be transferred onto a leather surface previously coated with
adhesive, by heat and pressure.
Transfer foil Special ready-to-use finish film on a backing or carrying material to be transferred onto
a leather surface. Note: Gold leather.
Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) Type of electron microscopy in which the specimen transmits an electron beam
focused on it, image contrasts are formed by the scattering of electrons out of the
beam, and various magnetic lenses perform functions analogous to those of ordinary
lenses in a light microscope.
Trapped moisture Can occur in foam finishing systems. If the finish is dried at too high a temperature
initially, a surface film may form, trapping moisture underneath.
Tray dyeing Process of dyeing in which pairs of skins, placed flesh to flesh, are repeatedly drawn
through a dye solution contained in a tray.
Trim (v); trimming Cut away useless or unwanted material from the edges of raw or tanned hides or skins
to give them a better shape.
Trough dyeing Dyeing process in which the skins, usually paired flesh to flesh, are repeatedly dipped
into, and removed from, the dye liquor contained in a trough.
Tumble (v); tumbling Subjection of hides, skins or leather to mechanical action in a revolving drum fitted
internally with pegs or shelves, in the dry state, alone in the damp state or together
with liquor, molten grease, etc.
Tunnel dryer Dryer consisting of a long tunnel through which the leather is carried whilst subjected
to a counter-current of heated air.
Turbidity Gives an initial indication of the level of colloidal matter of organic and inorganic
origin. It is judged either by comparing the sample with reference opalescent solutions
or by measuring the limit of visibility.
Turkey tracks Occurs in either forward or reverse mode of roller coating giving a pattern to the finish
similar in configuration to that of the foot of a turkey. The main cause is the film-
forming properties of the finish being incorrect.
Two-component polyurethane lacquer Reactive polyurethane system. Polyester or polyether polyols are mixed with exactly
measured quantities of a crosslinking agent such as isocyanate, aziridine or
carbodiimide before application. The final reaction which forms polyurethane occurs
on the leather surface.
Two-dimensional chromatography Chromatographic technique (paper or Thin Layer Chromatography - TLC) in which the
sample is resolved by standard procedures (ascending, descending or horizontal
solvent movement) and then turned at right angles in a second solvent and resolved.
Two-way suede Long and soft, fibred suede leather made and finished to show the mark of a finger
drawn across it.
LEATHER TERMS –U
UF See: Ultrafiltration.
Ultraviolet (UV) Ultraviolet radiation. The light of the wavelength in spectrum region below
the blue visible light.
Underfur dyeing Dyeing of the layer of fine, closely packed, soft hair forming the insulating
layer of the fur coat of fur-bearing animals.
Undressed leather Leather which, after tanning, has not been further processed and may be in
the wet or dry state.
Uneven finish General term used to describe a patchy, blotchy, unlevel appearance to the
surface finish.
Unhair (v); unhairing Removal of hair or wool from hides or skins by any method.
See: Depilation.
Unhairing before flaying Removal of the hair from the carcass before the hide is opened up to remove
the meat.
Unsaponifiable fatty matter Portion of oil, fat, wax, or grease, which is not converted into soap on boiling
with alkali solution and is soluble in a solvent such as diethyl ether.
Unsaturated acid Fatty acid derived from the unsaturated series of aliphatic hydrocarbons,
containing one or more unsaturated bonds.
Unsaturated brine Solution of water and salt (brine) that has, at 25 oC, a specific gravity under
1,198 or contains less than 36,0 g of salt per
100,0 g of water.
Unsaturated fatty acid Fatty acid which has one or more double bonds in the carbon chain. Organic
compound with the chemical formula Cn H2n-1 COOH, Cn H2n-3 COOH, etc.
Unstrain (v); unstraining Removal of dried, strained leather from the straining boards or frames.
Upholstery leather Leather for covering furniture and seats of all kinds; mainly large, chrome
tanned, or chrome retanned, grain split cattle hide leather.
Upper leather Leather produced for the outside upper part of footwear.
Uppers Outer part of footwear above the sole and enveloping the foot.
Urine damage Urine can damage the grain giving it an unevenly roughened, velvet-like
texture instead of the normal smooth grain. This is particularly prominent in
calf skins.
UV See: Ultraviolet.
Vacuum drying Drying technique in which the wet leather is spread out by hand grain down on a
polished, heated metal plate. An airtight hood equipped inside with a felt and a wire net
is placed over the leather before a vacuum is applied. Depending on the preset vacuum,
the temperature of the metal plate and the thickness and moisture content of the
leather, the wet leather is dried in about 4 to 10 minutes.
Note: Greek evergreen oak, Quercus Aegilops (Morea, the Greek Archipelago, Asia
Minor) and the arcadian oak, Q. macrolepis (Greece).
Vat Water-tight vessel, of wood, brick, concrete, etc., usually above ground level, for storing
liquids, preparing solutions, giving liquid treatments, etc.
Vat curing Method of curing in which hides are laid one by one in a pit and covered by salt, the pit
being finally filled with brine.
Vat dyestuff Complex of organic molecules that are insoluble in water, but when their carbonyl
groups are properly reduced in a solution of caustic soda and sodium hydrosulphite to
the so-called leuco or soluble state, they exhibit an affinity for cellulosic fibres.
Vegetable tannage Tannage by means of the tanning agents contained in the barks, woods, fruits, leaves,
etc., of plants.
Vegetable tanned Tanned exclusively with vegetable tanning agents or with such materials together with
small amounts of other agents, used merely to assist the tanning process or to improve
or modify the leather, and not in sufficient amounts to alter notably the essential
character of the leather.
Vegetable tanned sole leather Vegetable tanned sole leather produced primarily for the manufacture of new footwear.
It is usually lighter in substance and more flexible than leather used for the repair of
footwear.
Vegetable tannin Tanning agent contained in, and obtained by, the extraction of the barks, fruits, galls,
leaves, roots or wood of certain plants.
Veininess A prominent vein pattern in hides which becomes visible in the finished leather, often
due to poor bleeding which encourages bacterial growth.
Veins Tube through which blood circulates in an animal body. When visible in leather the
cause is usually poor bleeding or staleness. See: Blood vessels.
Veiny Leather in which the pattern of the blood vessels is visible, or unusually prominent, on
the grain or flesh side, usually through use of stale hides or skins.
Vellum A translucent or opaque skin material, having a smooth surface, suitable for
manuscripts, bookbinding and other purposes. Made from calf, sheep and other unsplit
skins by drying the dehaired, limed skin without applying any tannage, the material
being thoroughly cleansed and degreased and the grain surface being smoothed during
the process. The best vellum is made from calf and in France only this is used for vellum.
See: Parchment.
Velvet leather Type of suede leather, with a fine, velvet-like nap produced usually on the grain side.
Note: Sometimes (in Germany and the UK always) restricted to leather from unsplit skin,
or grain split, with a nap produced by abrading the grain surface, in contrast to suede
leather produced by abrading the flesh surface. In France this finishing process is
generally done on the flesh side; exceptions are mocha, nubuck and doeskin.
Vertical fibre Loss of substance during wet processing due to vertical fibre effect, leads to a
“cauliflower” like pattern on the flesh side.
Viscosity-regulating agent Agent used in finish formulations to regulate the viscosity of a finish. Note: Thickener or
thinning agent.
Volatile matter Matter readily given off by evaporation, such as solid matter that can be given off as gas
or steam by heating.
Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Large family of carbon-containing compounds which are emitted or evaporated into the
atmosphere and can take part in photo-chemical reactions in the air. Some of them are
toxic. In the tanning industry they are produced from solvent evaporation in the finishing
operations.
Vulcanisation To render natural or synthetic rubber harder and more resistant to heat and solvents by
chemical means, especially by heating it with sulphur and accelerators.
LEATHER TERMS –W
Warble Small lump on the back of cattle due to the growth of the grub of the warble fly. Blind
warble is a lump from which the grub has escaped and the hole has healed over. Open
warble is a lump with a hole in it through which the grub is breathing or has only
recently escaped.
Warm sweating Process of loosening the hides or skins by keeping them damp and warm (c. 20 °C to 25
°C) by introducing a warm-water spray, or steam, so that bacteria develop and attack
the hair roots and lower epidermal layer.
Warts Growths of the skin which appear as black or brown elevation of the epidermis. Warts
are caused by viruses, some of which are contagious.
Wash leather In Germany and the UK an alternative term for chamois leather used for window and
car cleaning purposes.
Wash leather In Germany and Spain, the term is also applied to washable glove leather, usually white
in colour.
See: Aldehyde.
Washable leather Leather which can be washed under normal washing conditions to an acceptable
standard of colour fastness, flexibility, dimensional stability, etc.
Washed wool Wool which has been washed at some stage, either on the animal´s back, after shearing
or removal by the wool-puller or fellmonger.
Wash (v); washing To thoroughly remove unwanted constituents such as dirt, stains, soluble salts, loose
dye, etc., from a material by washing with water.
Waste (packaging) Any packaging or packaging material covered by the following definition: Any substance
or object which the owner discards or wants to or is forced to discard.
Waste treatment plant Plant where solid wastes are treated such as incineration or recycling.
Waste treatment practice Specific treatment practice such as: Incineration, landfill disposal, recycling .
Waste water characterisation Information about a sample of waste water. Generally, these are BOD, COD, suspended
solid, etc.
See: Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD); Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD); Suspended
solids.
Water fastness Ability of a coloured leather to resist transfer of colour to an adjacent fabric by water.
See: Test Methods IUF 421.
Water content Water content of a solid waste; it is an important parameter for waste characterisation.
Can be calculated out of volume or mass of waste.
Water drop test Test to evaluate the absorption speed of a water drop and the colour modification of
leather or the halo after drying.
Water of plumping Water contained in a hide or skin in such a way that it is plump, stiff and resistant to
compression as well as translucent. It is water mainly within the well-swollen fibres and
fibrils.
Water of swelling Water taken up by a material, such as collagen or gelatine, by the action of osmotic
forces developed when the pH is raised above, or lowered below, the iso-electric point.
Water permeability Ability of a membrane or other material to permit water to pass through it.
Water proofness See: Waterproof (v); waterproofing.
Water resistance Material which has been specially processed to impart resistance to wetting, or
penetration of water.
Water spots Drops of water on a finished leather which have dried out leaving a mark. Usually
caused when the leather has not yet received its final top seal coat.
Water stain Area of leather that has become wet and then dries out leaving a typical water stain or
mark.
Water vapour permeability Ability of a membrane or other material to permit water vapour to pass through it.
Water/steam mottle Mottled appearance to the finish. Caused by excessive moisture in the leather or the
final coat not dried sufficiently before the final plating/printing.
Water-based finish Aqueous finish using either no solvents or only small additions of solvents.
Water-dilutable Finish products dilutable in water. For example, non-thermoplastic binders such as milk
casein, blood and egg albumen, modified casein.
Water-in-oil emulsion Suspension of fine particles or globules of water when dispersed throughout an oil.
Waterproof (v); waterproofing Imparting of properties to a material, such as leather, to make it resistant to wetting or
penetration by liquid water and to avoid transmission of water through its cross
section.
Waterproof leather Water-resistant leather which is thoroughly impervious to the penetration of water.
Water-resistant leather Leather resistant (repellent) to the penetration of water, usually chrome tanned or
combination tanned, originally heavily greased, but other water-resisting (repelling)
agents may be used.
Water-soluble inorganic matter Amount of inorganic matter (residue after drying at 750 °C) in a water extract of
leather. See: Test methods IUC 6.
Water-soluble organic matter Amount of organic matter in a water extract of leather. Usually measured by difference
between the total water soluble residue (residue after drying at 100 °C) and the water
soluble inorganic matter. See: Test Methods IUC 6.
Water-wash spray booth Booth of a spraying line which has a water curtain inside for trapping finish spray
particulates.
Wax Solid, fairly hard, organic material, naturally occurring or synthetic, with a
comparatively low melting point, insoluble in, and lighter than water, soluble in organic
solvents such as ether, and having a slightly greasy feel. May consist of hydrocarbons
such as paraffin wax, or of esters such as bee and carnauba waxes.
Wax top coat Top coat finish preparation using wax to impart desired surface properties, giving a
waxy handle.
Waxed leather Upper leather finished on the flesh side and dyed; vegetable tanned with a high content
of hard grease, though not necessarily.
Waxy materials Substance that is a plastic solid at ambient temperature and, on being subjected to
moderately elevated temperatures, becomes a low viscosity liquid. Usually contains a
variety of molecular weight species and reactive functional groups (as esters), although
some classes of mineral and synthetic waxes are totally hydrocarbon compounds.
Weight range The two weights governing the group into which a hide is placed for sale, for example:
36/+
31/35,5
26/30,5
22/25,5
21,5/-
Weight class A particular class into which certain hides or skins are placed on the basis of their
weight.
Weight-giving Characterises the ability of a vegetable tanning material to increase the weight of, as
well as to tan, hide and skin.
Welt Strip of leather between the edge of the upper and sole, lying flat on the sole edge to
which both the upper and sole are attached.
Welting leather Tanned cattle hide leather of tannage and quality suitable for the manufacture of
welting for footwear.
Wet blue Term for a hide, or skin, which has been subjected to the usual beamhouse processes,
chrome-tanned and left wet; may be stored or exported in this state.
Wet blue weight Weight of chrome tanned hides or skins after samming to approximately 50% to 60%
moisture.
Wet dust collector Equipment for removing the dust from an air-stream with the aid of water, such as an
irrigated cyclone or scrubber unit.
Wet leather Leather with a high (approx. >60% water) degree of moisture.
Wet look Glossy leather which has the appearance of being wet. The wet look coat is usually
applied in two layers, a base coat and an unpigmented top layer, usually polyurethane.
Wet post tanning operations Operations carried out in a leather after tanning, and before drying and finishing
operations.
Wet salted Treated in the wet state with solid salt sprinkled on the flesh side, or immersed in brine,
drained and then treated with solid salt and merely allowed to drain without any drying
process.
Wet salted hide Hide which, after treating with salt, has been merely drained so that it remains wet.
Wet salted weight Weight of wet salted sheepskin or of trimmed green hides after salting or brining and
piled to drain to 35% to 45% moisture, including the weight of the preserving salt.
Wet salt (v); wet salting Curing of hides or skins by treating with salt, and then merely draining so that the
product remains wet.
Wet stuff (v); wet stuffing Introduce a more or less solid mixture of oils, fats, and waxes into damp leather by
hand, drumming or impregnation.
Wet wheel (v); wet wheeling Abrading the flesh side of damp leather with an abrasive wheel to give it an especially
fine nap.
Wet white Leather which after tanning with white materials, such as aldehydes, aluminium and
syntans, has not been further processed and is in the wet condition.
Wet white weight Weight of hides or skins tanned with “white” tannage after samming to approximately
50% to 60% moisture.
Wet work All process operations in a tannery from the beamhouse through to tanning and dyeing.
Wettability Ability of a material to allow a liquid, especially water, to spread over its surface.
Wetting agents Chemical which, by lowering the surface tension, facilitates contact between water or
aqueous solutions and solids.
Wetting back Introduction of liquid, such as water, into hides, skins or dried leather.
See: Drum.
Wheel (v); wheeling Subject the flesh side of leather to abrasive action by means of a suitable revolving
wheel to clean it or to produce a nap on it.
White tanning agent Synthetic tanning agent specially designed to produce a white, lightfast leather.
Willow calf Calf skin leather, coloured, commonly brown, usually with a typical willow grain or with
a box grain pattern. Full chrome tanned and boarded either in one direction - head to
tail - or in two directions, as with box calf.
Willow side Coloured side upper leather dressed in the same way as willow calf. The term is applied
to full chrome, semi-chrome and vegetable tanned side similarly dressed.
Wire damage Ancient practice of putting heavy wire rings into the skins of animals can cause
abscesses, stains from the metal, tears during handling of the hides and damage to
knives and machinery.
Wood tannin Tanning agent extracted from a wood, such as from chestnut, oak and quebracho
woods.
Wooden grid Frame of parallel, spaced wooden bars, upon which hides are spread for laying-away in
vegetable tan liquors.
Wool Keratinous fibres growing from the skin of most types of sheep and characterised by its
fineness, softness, waviness and special surface pattern of scales.
Wool count According to the ISO norm 7211/5, counting of a fibre or a thread, by weight of a 1 000
metres of material. Unit is the “tex”. For example, 20 tex correspond to 1 000 metres of
thread of wool or cotton, which weighs 20 grams.
Wool puller Operative who specialises in dewoolling sheepskins and preparing them for tanning or
for sale to tanners.
Wool wax Natural, anhydrous product from crude wool grease and consisting of ester waxes and
free higher alcohols, chiefly sterols.
Woolled sheep or lambskin Sheep or lambskin tanned and dressed with the wool on.
See: Shearling.
Woolly Appearance of the flesh side of hides or skins where the fibres are particularly coarse.
Note: Instead of a very fine nap appearance to suedes, a coarser nap is described as
woolly.
Woolskin dyeing Dyeing of sheepskins with the wool still on.
Rhabditis dermatitis - lesion gives the appearance of small tortuous channels on the
surface of the leather.
Summer bleeding - enters the skin from the flesh side and causes bloody nodules to
form. These are located in the corium, extending through the epidermis and the scar
tissue is also deeply seated. In sheep, the damage cannot be eliminated, even in
suedes, as the lesions are so deep.
Wrinkle (v); wrinkling Formation of a pattern of fine furrow-like creases, depressions or ridges on a leather
surface due to unsuitable finishing.
Wrinkled grain Grain showing a more or less coarse pattern, furrow-like depressions or ridges,
especially when bent inwards.
LEATHER TERMS –X
Xenon test Apparatus reproducing sunlight, by accelerating its effect, suitable for observing
possible variations and/or degradations of leather colour.
LEATHER TERMS –Y
Yellowing Pickle - if pickled stock is stored for long periods the grain may become yellowish in
colour. This is caused by hydrolysis from using too much acid in the pickle and is
accompanied by a loss of fibre strength.
Finished leather - yellowing of white or pastel shade of leather may occur. The cause
could be oxidation of oils used in the fat liquoring process, plasticisers in the finish
discolouring or use of non-lightfast dyestuffs.
Yellowing on heat Yellowing of finishes due to heat depends on the products used causing oxidation or
ageing of fatty substances, plasticisers or nitrocellulose lacquers. Especially a problem
of white and pale leathers.
LEATHER TERMS –Z
Zinc salts Zinc salts: zinc chloride, - sulphate, - carbonate, phosphate and zinc
dimethyldithiocarbamate [(CH2)NCSS]2Zn, have a preservative action on animal hides
and skins.
Zirconium tannage Tannage with a basic salt of tetravalent zirconium, such as zirconyl sulphate, Zr(OH)2SO4
or zirconyl chloride, ZrOCl2.8H2O.