Kind of microfiber artificial leather and its manufacturing methods
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing microfiber artificial leather technologies face issues such as lack of three-dimensional fibers, poor surface density, rough texture, and inadequate wear resistance, which limit their application in certain fields due to the use of volatile sea-island superfine fibers and toxic solvents like toluene.
Innovation Solution
A manufacturing method involving double-layer pile weaving with V-shaped or W-shaped consolidation, followed by polyurethane treatment, alkali dispersion, and finishing processes to create a smooth, dense, and strong microfiber artificial leather with a three-dimensional structure, using ultrafine polyester and eliminating the need for toxic solvents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If volatile sea-island superfine fiber is used with solvent treatment, then fiber monofilament size can be reduced to 0.0001 dtex, but the larger discreteness of size affects post-processing and product quality, and toxic solvent toluene evaporates causing health and environmental issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the harmful volatile solvent toluene with a non-toxic macromolecule polymer elastomer that can be dissolved in water or alcohol. This converts the harmful solvent evaporation issue into a beneficial environmental feature while maintaining the ability to achieve fine fiber monofilament sizes (0.0001-0.1 dtex) through the same sea-island fiber structure. The elastomer dissolution step eliminates toxic emissions while preserving the fine fiber quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical parameter of the dissolution medium from volatile organic solvent (toluene) to non-toxic macromolecule polymer elastomer soluble in water or alcohol. This parameter change eliminates the harmful evaporation issue while maintaining the ability to process sea-island fibers into fine microfiber artificial leather with controlled monofilament sizes.
2Ease of manufacture
If non-woven fabric with acupuncture consolidation is used, then fiber entanglement is achieved, but the entanglement is unstable and fibers are easy to fall off resulting in poor wear resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure combining woven fabric base material with non-woven pile layer. The woven fabric provides stable structural support and prevents fiber loss, while the non-woven pile layer provides the desired entanglement effect. This composite approach resolves the contradiction between easy manufacture of entangled fibers and reliable wear resistance by distributing functions across different material layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-layer non-woven structure to a multi-layer structure with woven fabric base and non-woven pile layer. This dimensional change adds structural stability in the base layer while maintaining fiber entanglement in the pile layer, thereby improving wear resistance without sacrificing ease of manufacture.
3Ease of manufacture
If non-woven fabric is used as artificial leather fabric, then fiber entanglement is achieved, but not enough three-dimensional fibers with sparse hair on the surface can be formed resulting in rough feeling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a three-dimensional structure by combining woven fabric base with raised non-woven pile layer. This dimensional arrangement allows sparse hair formation on the surface while maintaining structural stability, resolving the contradiction between easy manufacture of entangled fibers and achievement of smooth surface appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different material properties to different layers: the woven fabric base provides structural stability and smoothness, while the non-woven pile layer provides fiber entanglement and sparse hair formation. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between ease of manufacture and surface smoothness by assigning different functions to different regions of the product.
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 method results in microfiber artificial leather with a fine hair surface, high density, excellent wear resistance, and improved mechanical properties, suitable for applications like garment leather, shoe upper leather, and automotive interiors, while being environmentally friendly.
Implementation Method 1
padded, then treated in a coagulating liquid, washed and dried, so that the polyurethane in the pile fabric could form sponge-like continuous microporous membrane
Implementation Method 2
applied with alkali treatment, so that the pile warp could fully be dispersed into single fibers to form microfibers, and then fully washed in water to remove alkali liquid, as well as alkali-soluble monomers and oligomers
Data Source
AI summary
This Invention relates to a kind of microfiber artificial leather and its manufacturing methods, namely, adopting double-pile weaving process, taking highly-strengthened filament (or other filament) as ground warp and ground weft, using sea-island polyester microfiber or other microfiber as pile warp, adopting the V-shaped or W-shaped consolidation to weave into three-dimensional fabric, and then accepting padding of polyurethane resins, alkali treatment, sanding, dyeing and finishing. The artificial leather related in this Invention features delicate surface piles, high density, strong cortical feeling, good wear resistance, dimensional stability, good moisture permeability, good color fastness, and excellent mechanical properties, so it can be used as garment leather, shoe upper leather, car interior materials, furniture leather and so on.