Trend substitutes

During the past years we have encountered materials more and more frequently, which are to substitute the traditional leathers and imitation leathers. Background is a growing need of consumers for products which do without raw materials of fossil or animal origin. There are very different approaches concerning the raw material base and the selected technologies.

In trend - biobased materials without animal raw materials

Everyone is talking about bio-based materials. They range from traditional vegetable raw materials to biotechnologically produced plastics. Substitutes for leather have to meet high standards in the selection of materials if they are not to be equated with conventional coated textiles based on fossil raw materials. Various strategies are being tested to achieve important material properties. Some use vegetable residues that are produced during food processing, such as fibers from pineapple leaves or apple pomace. Cork, leaves, cellulose or fungi are also used. Others rely on new biotechnological methods, such as the cultivation of large-area mycelia, which are processed into a flexible sheet material. Experiments are also being conducted with the skins of melons and other fruits with large surfaces.
Regardless of which approach is taken, the products must prove themselves in their range of applications. They must be made durable, consolidated or coated so that they can be used as a substitute for leather or imitation leather. Technologies and raw materials typical of leather and coated textiles production are often used. And we know all about this.
With our material expertise and technological competence from research and material characterization, we support you in the development of materials from biogenic raw materials. Biotechnological approaches to material substitution are also nothing new to us and form one of our fields of research. This includes the development of property profiles as well as the proof of quality and function by means of customized testing and analysis procedures accompanying the development process.

In this section the following tests are frequently searched:

OEKO-TEX®

Phtalates / Plasticisers

Tensile Test

Hazardous Substances



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FILK Freiberg Institute gGmbH
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GERMANY

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