Laser Finishing in the Decoration of Leather Products

Today, the use of laser finishing of leather products is becoming more popular than traditional methods. However, there is not much information on the effect of laser energy on the leather structure during finishing, so additional research is need. Crust leather produced by a new unified resource-saving technology with the use of polymer compounds at the stage of tanning and liquid finishing was used for research. The different leather samples were taken for research the laser effect. Leather samples with a thickness of 1.40-1.45 mm were subjected to laser engraving at a depth of laser ablation from 0.1 mm to 0.7 mm in steps of 0.1 mm. It was found that the structure of the dermis under the action of laser radiation has not undergone morphological changes: the samples preserved the natural histological structure, collagen bundles are not deformed, the layers are evenly spaced without increasing the density of the structure. There is some increase in the distances between the structural elements of the dermis. It was found in the area of direct action of the laser beam there are signs of welding of collagen fibers, but on the surface of the sample of leather were no found chemicals substance. The influence of laser finishing on the structure and physical-mechanical properties of leather for footwear and leather goods was determined. It was found that increasing the depth of ablation to 50-52% of the thickness of the leather adversely affects it`s physical and mechanical properties, thereby deteriorating the performance of footwear and leather goods. The results of complex research of the effect of laser radiation on the physical and mechanical properties of the leather for the shoes uppers and leather goods allowed to establish rational technological parameters of the laser finish. Such information expands the possibilities of introducing laser equipment into serial production in order to create a modern range of finished products due to the creative design of models and unification of products.