MOSCOW (MRC) -- Italian company Industrie Chimiche Forestali S.p.A has developed a composite material for the leather goods industry using a special grade of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) from Huntsman, as per GV.
The composite material, which features a durable layer of TPU, is called Tintoretto and is designed to improve the structural integrity of high-end leather goods such as designer handbags and belts.
Forestali is a producer of adhesives for the leather goods market as well as for footwear, sailing and furniture applications. The company also manufactures a wide range of impregnated fabrics and textiles. After spotting a gap in the leather goods market, Forestali contacted Huntsman - one of its long-term suppliers. Forestali wanted Huntsman’s help to develop a durable material that could be wrapped in leather to form structural components for bags, for example, weight-bearing handles and shoulder straps. Specifically, Forestali wanted Huntsman’s advice on a polyurethane-based solution that could be used to coat a non-woven polyester and create inserts that were strong and robust but also incredibly flexible and soft to touch.
Huntsman’s first step was to recommend the use of a polyester-based TPU from its Irogran family of products. Originally developed for hot melt calendaring applications, the Irogran grade in question is also suitable for multilayer extruding. Offering very good batch-to-batch consistency, the recommended TPU is low in colour and can be easily pigmented. It is also compatible with a variety of adhesives based on natural and synthetic lattices, says the manufacturer.
Satisfied with Huntsman’s suggestion and supported by the chemical company’s technical team, Forestali developed Tintoretto. The end result is a material that is easy to produce and can be cut in any direction without compromising dimensional stability. Thanks to the mechanical properties of Irogran TPU, Tintoretto is also resistant to humidity, heat and cold and can withstand repeated mechanical actions such as bending.
As MRC reported earlier, in October 2014, Huntsman completed the acquisition of the Performance Additives and Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) businesses of Rockwood Holdings, Inc. In February 2015, Huntsman unveiled plans to reduce its TiO2 capacity by approximately 100,000 tons, representing 13% of Huntsman's European TiO2 capacity. The plan was aimed to generate approximately USD35 million of annual savings.
Forestali uses a range of manufacturing processes to create its coated textiles from impregnation to hot melt sizing, powder sizing and co-extrusion. Alongside impregnated fabrics, Forestali also manufactures adhesives for flexible packaging and upholstered furniture applications.
Huntsman Corporation is a publicly traded global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated chemicals. Huntsman's operating companies manufacture products for a variety of global industries, including chemicals, plastics, automotive, aviation, textiles, footwear, paints and coatings, construction, technology, agriculture, health care, detergent, personal care, furniture, appliances and packaging.
MRC