Artificial leather base material and grained artificial leather

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Grain-finished artificial leather lacks suppleness and fullness, resulting in coarse creases when bent, and has poor surface flatness due to voids within the fabric and a rubber-like rigid texture from excessive elastic polymer content.

Innovation Solution

An artificial leather base material comprising a non-woven fabric impregnated with 15-40% elastic polymer, fine particles with Mohs hardness of 4 or less, and a plasticizer, optimized to achieve a bending resistance product of 200-400 mm^2, ensuring suppleness, fullness, and surface flatness.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the thickness of the grain layer is increased to improve heat resistance and water resistance, then heat resistance and water resistance are improved, but suppleness is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat resistance and water resistanceVSAvoidsuppleness
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the chemical composition parameters of the elastic polymer from conventional polyurethane to a copolymer containing specific functional groups (carboxyl, hydroxyl, or amine groups) with controlled content ratios. This parameter change allows achieving the desired heat resistance and water resistance without compromising suppleness, as the functional groups enable crosslinking that provides thermal stability while maintaining flexibility through the polymer chain structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention creates a composite structure by combining the copolymer elastic polymer with inorganic fillers (such as titanium oxide, zinc oxide, or calcium carbonate) and crosslinking agents. This composite material approach allows simultaneous achievement of heat resistance (from inorganic fillers and crosslinking), water resistance, and suppleness (from the polymer matrix structure), resolving the contradiction between durability and flexibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Shape

If the content ratio of elastic polymer is increased to improve fullness and reduce coarse creases, then fullness is improved, but the material develops a rubber-like rigid texture

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefullness and crease uniformityVSAvoidtexture flexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
ShapeVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The invention optimizes the molecular weight and functional group content of the copolymer elastic polymer to achieve the desired balance. By controlling the glass transition temperature and crosslinking density through parameter adjustment, the material achieves sufficient fullness and crease uniformity while maintaining a natural leather-like texture rather than a rubbery feel.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention applies different properties to different regions of the material by creating a layered structure where the copolymer concentration and crosslinking density vary through the thickness. The surface region has optimized properties for fullness and appearance, while the bulk provides flexibility, achieving local quality differentiation that resolves the contradiction between fullness and texture flexibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Ease of operation

If conventional elastic polymers are used to achieve suppleness, then suppleness is improved, but surface flatness deteriorates due to voids in the fabric

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesupplenessVSAvoidsurface flatness
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The invention utilizes a controlled porous structure where the copolymer elastic polymer fills and binds the voids within the fabric matrix. The crosslinked network structure of the copolymer provides structural support that maintains surface flatness while the porous architecture allows for suppleness. The key is optimizing pore size and distribution to balance these two properties.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

Solution Approach 2:

The invention creates a composite material system combining the copolymer elastic polymer with inorganic fillers and fabric substrate. This composite structure addresses surface flatness by using inorganic fillers to reinforce the polymer matrix in regions with voids, while maintaining suppleness through the flexible polymer network. The synergistic combination resolves the contradiction between surface flatness and suppleness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution enables grain-finished artificial leather to bend with roundness, forming fine fold creases while maintaining excellent surface flatness, suitable for applications requiring a quality appearance.

Implementation Method 1

the copolymer elastic polymer crosslinks with the polyurethane elastic polymer or the like, thereby bonded to the fabric

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCrosslinking reaction: Chemical Bonding

Implementation Method 2

it has become possible to provide an artificial leather base material having suppleness, fullness, and surface flatness all together

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPlasticization:

Data Source

PatentEP3620572B1Artificial leather base material and grained artificial leather
Publication Date: 2023.11.29 KURARAY CO LTD

AI summary

Disclosed is an artificial leather base material including: a fabric, and an elastic polymer, fine particles, and a plasticizer that have been applied to the fabric, wherein the elastic polymer includes a (meth)acrylic elastic polymer and a polyurethane, the fine particles have a Mohs hardness of 4 or less, and the product of a bending resistance, a durometer Shore C hardness, and a thickness of the artificial leather base material is 200 to 400 mm2. Also disclosed is a grain-finished artificial leather obtained using the artificial leather base material.