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New Content (to be added to existing Artificial Leather Wikipedia Page):

Artificial Leather

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Plant Based

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Cactus

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Cactus leather is a relatively new type of vegan leather used to create clothing and accessories such as sneakers, jackets, and handbags. More niche applications include furniture and even car interiors. Ample scientific research has gone into the production of these cactus leathers and has resulted in materials that are varying levels of biodegradable and seemingly more environmentally conscious than their traditional animal leather counterparts (e.g. cactus leathers, unlike animal leathers, are produced without chromium and will not pump toxic chemicals into nearby ecosystems).

Species of Cacti used

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The Nopal Cactus is within the family of Opuntia cacti. These plants require very little maintenance (e.g. water) to survive and grow abundantly in their native country of Mexico. Leather specifically from the Opuntia plant is currently produced by the brand Desserto, which is also located in Mexico. Desserto sells their product to other designers and companies in order to help satisfy the growing demand for environmentally friendly textiles. For their work, the brand won the VII International Green Product Award in Munich, Germany in 2020.[1]

Production Method(s)

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Nopal Leather: made without toxic chemicals, phthalates, or PVC[2]

  1. Mature cactus leaves are safely harvested (for the same plant, harvesting may occur every 6-8 months). Young leaves may also be used.[2]
  2. Leaves are cleaned and mashed[2]
  3. Dried in sunlight for 3 days[2]
  4. Undergoes further processing (these steps are unreleased likely due to the fact that Desserto sells their leather)[2]
  5. Noteworthy: 3 cactus leaves make approximately 1 linear meter of Desserto leather[2]

Bisnaga Leather

  1. Sheets of the cactus are sliced either along or against the grain of the plant - along the grain will produce a stronger leather than against/cross grain cuts. There is no specific thickness required, but the sheets need to have enough depth to be able to shrink when dried without becoming too thin and breaking.[3]
  2. Sheets are put in a tanning bath[3]
  3. Treated with solution of 75% glycerin and 25% water (determined experimentally)[3]
  4. Water is pressed out of treated sheets[3]
  5. Air dried (hung up) or dried using artificial heat sources[3]

Fruit

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Fruit leather is predominantly used in the fashion industry as a method of sustainable design. Items created have included bags and jackets; future applications are speculated to be in the shoe and curtain markets.

Species of fruit used

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Production Method(s)

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Apple[4]

Core and skin

  1. Discarded parts of apples (cores, skin, etc.) and gathered and pureed
  2. New mixture formed into a sheet
  3. Bound to polyurethane when almost dried

Pulp

  1. Wasted pulp (leftover from producing apple juice) is dried into powder
  2. Mixed with various chemicals such as pigments and binders
  3. Dried fully

Banana/Abaca/Musa textilis (non fruit bearing banana)[5]

Processed material made from the Abaca banana plant, native to the Phillipines, is extremely durable. It takes between 18 and 24 months to grow 12-30 stalks, each being roughly 12-20 feet tall. Advantages of abaca are that it grows locally where the textiles are produced (therefore no transportation cost) and requires no chemicals to grow. However, a disadvantage is that the process to cultivate and extract fibers and turn them into fabric is laborious. Additionally, the demand for banana textiles is much lower than traditional leathers, and as such there is less profit to be made for these communities.

  1. Trunk of abaca is soaked in a river
  2. Softened trunk is pulled apart (can be done by machine or by hand)
  3. These fibers can be combined and made into textiles
  4. Other leather created from banana fibers involves a fermenting process[6]


Corn[7]

  1. Similar to apple leather; corn leather is often 50% corn waste product combined with polyurethane (PU)

Mango[8]

  1. Mangoes are cut and de-pitted by a machine
  2. The remaining mass is turned into a pulp
  3. Chemical additives mixed in
  4. Spread into sheets and dehydrated


Orange

  1. Similar to apple leather
  2. Requires no additional pigments/dyes

Pineapple[9]

  1. Pineapple leaves sourced from the Phillipines
  2. Three main materials in this leather
    1. Decorticated (stripped) pineapple fibers
    2. Polylactic Acid (PLA)
    3. Resin that is petroleum based

Teak Leaves

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Woven teak leaves are used to make eco-friendly leather wallets, bags, jackets, etc.

Production Method(s)

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Method from the company "Tree Tribe"[10] based in Thailand.

  1. Fallen teak leaves are harvested
  2. Soaked in water and dye
  3. Leaves arranged in a large flat sheet and air dried
  4. Layer or backing of cotton fabric added to strengthen the material
  5. Sealing top coat made from non-toxic BOPP film (added layer "provides water proofing, durability, and longevity. While not perfect (yet), when incinerated BOPP film only gives off water vapor and carbon dioxide")[10]

Mushroom Based

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Making leather from mushrooms, specifically the mycelium from which they grow, has many advantages: "Fabric created from mycelium is non-toxic, waterproof, and fire-resistant. It can be as thin as paper for dresses and lamp shades, or incredibly thick for heavy-duty items, and in both cases, the result is remarkably flexible and strong."[11]

Species of mushroom used

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Production Method(s)[12]

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  1. Mycelium grown via incubation on an agar plate or another nutrient-rich substrate
  2. Pure mycelium harvested
  3. Formed into sheet - heat pressing is optional
  4. Live mycelium soaked in plasticizers such as glycerol, choline chloride, or ethylene glycol
  5. Rinsed and dried at a temperature between 70 and 130 degrees celsius

Citations

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  1. ^ "Desserto: "After Two Years of Research and Development, We Finally Finished Making Marketable Cactus Leather." - vegconomist - the vegan business magazine". Retrieved 2021-12-15.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Wolfe, Watson &. "All You Need To Know About Vegan Cactus Leather | Watson & Wolfe". Retrieved 2021-12-15.
  3. ^ a b c d e Wright, Frederick C. (1908). "LEATHER FROM CACTI: SOMETHING NEW". The Plant World. 11 (5): 99–102. ISSN 0096-8307.
  4. ^ "APPLE SKIN — Ecorebels". www.eco--rebels.com. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
  5. ^ "What is banana fibre and how do you make textiles from it?". The Sustainable Fashion Collective. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
  6. ^ "New Product: Vegan Leather Made of Coconut and Banana Fibres - vegconomist - the vegan business magazine". Retrieved 2021-12-15.
  7. ^ "Is Corn Leather Good Or Bad? 2022 Fabric Material Textile Guide For Home Environment Animal Laborer". HEALabel. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
  8. ^ "A Dutch company is making mango to leather". Textile News, Apparel News, RMG News, Fashion Trends. 2021-07-28. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
  9. ^ "Pineapple Leather - Vegan Leather from Pineapple Fibers". Retrieved 2021-12-15.
  10. ^ a b Tribe, Tree. "What Is Leaf Leather?". Tree Tribe. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
  11. ^ Wolfe, Watson &. "What is Mushroom Leather and How is it Made? | Watson & Wolfe". Retrieved 2021-12-15.
  12. ^ "Method of making mycelium-leather". BioFabForum. 2019-02-06. Retrieved 2021-12-15.


Note on Brands

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Attempted to add this information to the existing "Brands" section on [leather|Artificial Leather] Brands producing Artificial Leather. However, my work was deleted. I have informed that these brands are not "notable" enough to make it on to the list of Wikipedia brands for artificial leather, so adding any of the below to the existing page is a work in progress.

1. Desserto

2. FruitLeather Rotterdam

3. Frumat

4. Vegea

5. MycoWorks

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