New Products Based on Essential Oils for Finishing Natural Leathers with Antifungal Performances – Part 2

Research aims the replacement of potentially toxic biocides with ecologic materials – essential oils extracted from plants. Some biocides used in the leather industry have a certain toxicity, and are prohibited by the directives in force. This paper presents the resistance to mold of leather treated with the developed essential oil-based products, development of the Aspergillus niger strain on leather samples over time, i.e. macroscopic images of the samples treated with antifungal products based on cedar and coriander oils. Because the product made of cedar essential oil is less efficient, mixtures of the two antifungal products (based on cedar and coriander oils) were used on the surface leather in the final dressing composition. Testing of antifungal products based on cedar and coriander oils was carried out monitoring the manner in which mold growth is influenced by the treatment applied to the sample through the resistance to mold in simulated contamination conditions. These products improve leather and leather product resistance to fungi, while ensuring a higher quality of leather objects.