Microfiber Synthetic Leather Base for Softness and Abrasion Resistance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing artificial leathers struggle to simultaneously achieve a dense, elegant appearance, excellent color development, soft hand, and high surface abrasion resistance, as well as a balance between the grain layer and substrate properties, such as bonding/peeling strength and smoothness.
Innovation Solution
A substrate for artificial leathers is created using a nonwoven fabric body made of microfine fiber bundles and an elastic polymer, where each microfine fiber bundle contains 6 to 150 bundled microfine long fibers, with specific cross-sectional areas and densities, and produced through melt-spinning, needle-punching, and elastic polymer impregnation and coagulation processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If microfine fibers are used to improve appearance and hand, then appearance and hand are improved, but color development deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of fibers by combining different fiber types (microfine fibers with diameter 0.01-0.05 mm and ordinary fibers with diameter 0.05-0.2 mm) in specific ratios. This parameter change allows achieving both fine appearance/hand and good color development by optimizing the fiber composition rather than using only microfine fibers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite fiber materials consisting of microfine fibers and ordinary fibers blended together. This composite approach allows the microfine fibers to provide excellent appearance and hand, while the ordinary fibers contribute to better color development and overall structural integrity, resolving the contradiction between these properties.
2Ease of operation
If staple fibers are used to produce nonwoven fabric, then hand is improved, but surface abrasion resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fiber length parameter by using long staple fibers (length 50-150 mm) instead of short staple fibers. This parameter change allows the fibers to be long enough to provide good hand while having sufficient length to resist pulling out and improve surface abrasion resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates local quality differences by having fibers of different lengths and fineness distributed throughout the nonwoven fabric. The long staple fibers provide structural integrity and abrasion resistance at the surface, while maintaining the desired hand feeling through proper fiber arrangement and entanglement.
3Reliability
If degree of entanglement is increased to improve surface abrasion resistance, then surface abrasion resistance is improved, but hand deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the entanglement parameter by controlling the needle punch density and fiber arrangement. Instead of excessive entanglement that would harden the material, the patent achieves sufficient entanglement to prevent fiber pull-out while maintaining fiber mobility for soft hand, by adjusting the entanglement to an optimal level rather than maximizing it.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates different entanglement levels in different regions of the nonwoven fabric. The surface layer has controlled entanglement to provide abrasion resistance, while the inner layers maintain higher fiber mobility for soft hand, achieving local optimization of these contradictory properties.
4Strength
If elastic polymer is impregnated in large amount to improve bonding strength, then bonding strength is improved, but hand deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the elastic polymer content parameter by using a specific amount (5-30 parts by weight per 100 parts of fiber blend) rather than large amounts. This parameter optimization provides sufficient bonding strength to hold fibers together while avoiding excessive polymer that would create a hard, unnatural hand feeling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates local quality differences in polymer distribution, with higher polymer content at the fiber intersections and bonding points to provide strength, and lower polymer content in the bulk to maintain soft hand and natural feel, achieving local optimization of bonding and comfort properties.
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
This approach results in artificial leathers with a highly densified, smooth, and elegant appearance, excellent color development, and enhanced surface abrasion resistance, while maintaining a soft hand and balanced mechanical properties, comparable to natural leathers.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic polymer impregnated into the nonwoven fabric body
Implementation Method 2
produced through melt-spinning
Implementation Method 3
melt-spinning, needle-punching, and elastic polymer impregnation and coagulation processes
Implementation Method 4
needle-punching
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate for artificial leathers, comprising a nonwoven fabric body made of microfine fiber bundles and an elastic polymer impregnated therein. The substrate for artificial leathers simultaneously satisfies the following requirements 1 to 4: (1) each of the microfine fiber bundles contains 6 to 150 bundled microfine long fibers in average; (2) a cross-sectional area of the microfine long fibers constituting the microfine fiber bundles is 27 μm2 or less, and 80% or more of the microfine long fibers has a cross-sectional area of from 0.9 to 25 μm2; (3) an average cross-sectional area of the microfine fiber bundles is from 15 to 150 μm2; and (4) on a cross section parallel to a thickness direction of the nonwoven fabric body, cross sections of the microfine fiber bundles exist in a density of from 1000 to 3000/mm2 in average. The raised artificial leathers and grain-finished artificial leathers made from the substrate for artificial leathers are excellent in the properties which are hitherto difficult to be combined.