Leather and Leather Processing

Besides wool, stone and wood leather is one of the oldest natural materials in human history. It has always been used as protective and decorative clothing but also as technical material. Today, leather has nearly vanished from technical applications. But despite numerous substitutes leather continues to be popular with the automotive, furniture, shoe and fashion industries thanks to its properties and its precious and natural character. And as sustainability and ecology play an important role in particular in these industries, there are consistently new approaches for research topics.

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Head of Department

Dr. Anke Mondschein

„The topic renewable resources has been accompanying all of my professional life. Leather is a renewable resource, too. Time and again I am fascinated by the variety in which leather can be manufactured with most different properties, by the fact how the tanning and leather industries convert the byproduct hide into a precious and at the same time functional material. And although this natural material is as old as mankind itself, there are always new things to explore and to discover."

Dr. Anke Mondschein

Head of Department Leather and Leather Processing

ONE OF THE OLDEST NATURAL MATERIALS STANDS ITS GROUND TO THIS DAY

Tannery and leather manufacture are the oldest fields of competence at FILK. The forerunners of our institute are the first Deutsche Gerberschule and the Versuchsanstalt für Lederindustrie. We can reflect upon more than 130 years of experience with leather manufacture. Today research activities focus on the whole process of technology for leather manufacture: new technologies for liming, tanning, re-tanning and finishing. Research work comprises both fundamental approaches and optimisation concepts for technologies, formulations and auxiliaries as well as utilisation of byproducts.

Recent discourses about sustainability and ecology in an increasingly critical public brought various initiatives and activities into motion in the leather sector. For many years the industry has been paying special attention to resource-efficient and environmentally friendly technology as well as process chemicals. Also in this connection there are always new approaches for research and development activities.

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Tannery pilot plant

Research activities in the leather pilot plant traditionally include all process steps of leather manufacture: swelling, liming, tanning, re-tanning and finishing. For this purpose tanning drums in…

Special analysis and method development for testing leather

In addition to standardised tests new, not standardised investigation methods are developed, e. g. determination of the tanning technology, behaviour of leather under climate change with recording of force…

Freiberg Hide Powder

Freiberger Hautpulver wird für die gravimetrische Analyse von vegetabilen Gerbmitteln und Extrakten benutzt. Es wird seit 1905 in Freiberg hergestellt. Für die Gerbstoffanalyse wurden in der Vergangenheit…

Material ecology and sustainability in leather manufacture

Flexible, laminar materials such as leather are tightly connected to the everyday life and consumer behaviour. Therefore, leather is subject to numerous media and public and technical discussions with…

Our Services

In the field of leather and leather processing we offer the following services:

  • Tests relating to leather and analytics at the leather laboratory

  • Development and manufacturing of historic restoration leathers for the conservation of art work and cultural assets

  • Analysis of tanning materials

  • Tanning experiments in our tannery pilot plant

 

 

Do you have questions about our services? Contact us!

Dr. Anke Mondschein

Head of Department Leather and Leather Processing

Projects that might be interesting for you To Project Library

Alliance for Cooperation on Digital and Circular Economy Skills for the TCLF sector across Europe (METASKILLS4TCLF)

ERASMUS-EDU-2022-PI-ALL-INNO (EU) 101111842 | Laufzeit: 09.2023 – 08.2027

Centro Tecnológico do Calçado de Portugal (Coordinator); Anke Mondschein, FILK Freiberg; insgesamt 21 Partner (inkl. FILK und CTCP)

End of project: 08/31/2027

Categories:

  • Leather

Modellbasierte Vorhersage mechanischer Ledereigenschaften als Grundlage gezielter Lederverarbeitung

BMWK IGF 01IF23328N | Laufzeit: 06.2024 – 09.2026

Dr. Sascha Dietrich, FILK Freiberg

End of project: 09/30/2026

Categories:

  • Leather
  • Test/Analytical methods

Matrixeliminierung bei der Chrom(VI)-Analyse in Leder

BMWK INNO-KOM 49VF220058 | Laufzeit: 09.2023 – 02.2026

Nadja Dittrich, FILK Freiberg

End of project: 02/28/2026

Categories:

  • Leather
  • Methods/Processes

Sensor-Case für die In-situ Messung im Gerbereiprozess

BMWK INNO-KOM 49MF220181 | Laufzeit: 07.2023 – 12.2025

Ulrike Straßburger, FILK Freiberg

End of project: 12/31/2025

Categories:

  • Leather

Identifikation genetischer Marker mit Assoziation zur Hautqualität bei Rindern (SNPs und Lederqualität)

BMWK IGF 22809 BR | Laufzeit: 02.2023 – 07.2025

Sandra Stenzel, FILK Freiberg | Martin Schulze, IFN Schönow

End of project: 07/31/2025

Categories:

  • Biogenic Raw Materials
  • Leather

Analyse tierischer Inhaltstoffe in veganen Lederalternativen

BMWK INNO-KOM 49MF220028 | Laufzeit: 09.2022 – 02.2025

Sandra Stenzel, Ines Stachel, Enno Klüver, FILK Freiberg

End of project: 02/28/2025

Categories:

  • Collagen
  • Leather
  • Test/Analytical methods

Bioabbaubare Beschichtung für Textilien und Leder auf Basis von Polyurethan-Dispersionen (Guinea)

BMWK IGF Cornet 342 EBR | Laufzeit: 09.2022 – 08.2024

Anke Mondschein, Maren Lehmann, FILK Freiberg | David de Smet, CENTEXBEL Zwijnaarde

End of project: 08/31/2024

Categories:

  • Leather

Gerbaktivität von Secoiridoid-Gerbstoffen

BMWK INNO-KOM 49MF210154 | Laufzeit: 01.2022 – 06.2024

Michaela Schröpfer, Anke Mondschein, FILK Freiberg

End of project: 06/30/2024

Categories:

  • Leather

Energetische und stoffliche Verwertung von chrombelasteten Gerbereirückständen in Biogasanlagen (BioChrome)

BMWK IGF 22208 BR | Laufzeit: 12.2021 – 05.2024

Kathrin Leppchen-Fröhlich, Anke Mondschein, Ina Prade, FILK Freiberg

End of project: 05/31/2024

Categories:

  • Biomaterials
  • Leather
  • Methods/Processes

Zukunftscluster innovative berufliche Bildung (CLOU)

BMBF InnoVET 21IV007J | Laufzeit: 01.2022 – 02.2024

Anke Mondschein, FILK Freiberg

End of project: 02/29/2024

Categories:

  • Leather
  • Test/Analytical methods
  • Material Characterization

Mikroorganismen-abweisende Beschichtung von Lederoberflächen (SilkRepell) | Teilprojekt: Herstellung Mikroben-abweisender Beschichtungen auf Leder mit Spinnenseidenprotein im industriellen Maßstab

BMBF Biologisierung der Technik 13XP5178B | Laufzeit: 01.2022 – 12.2022

Kathrin Leppchen-Fröhlich, Birgit Voigt, Ina Prade, FILK Freiberg

End of project: 12/31/2022

Categories:

  • Biomaterials
  • Leather

All completed projects can be found here To Project Library

Other Research Departments Back to Overview

Surfaces

The surface of a material has important aesthetic tasks, it is the first thing noticed by the viewer, and…

Materials

  • Plastics + Elastomers + Foils
  • Coated Textiles + Plastic Roll Goods
  • Leather + Leatherfibre Boards

Functional Layer Systems

The functional requirements for modern materials continually increase. Often a basic material alone no…

Materials

  • Coated Textiles + Plastic Roll Goods
  • Functional Coatings + Composites
  • Plastics + Elastomers + Foils

Chemistry of Polymers

The research projects of the previous years resulted in the finding that the properties of coatings and…

Materials

  • Functional Coatings + Composites
  • Coated Textiles + Plastic Roll Goods
  • Trendsubstitutes

Collagen

Collagen is the most important structural protein in animal organisms. It forms fibres and fibre networks…

Materials

  • Biomaterials
  • Leather + Leatherfibre Boards
  • Collagen + Biogenic Materials

Biology

Biology is the natural science that studies life and living organisms and their interaction with the…

Materials

  • Biomaterials
  • Leather + Leatherfibre Boards
  • Collagen + Biogenic Materials

Research Projects + Publications

About 70 publicly funded research and development projects are carried out at our institute every year. In…

Research Networks

Active engagement in national and international research networks is of central importance for each…

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Contact

FILK Freiberg Institute gGmbH
Meißner Ring 1-5
09599 Freiberg

GERMANY

Fon: +49-(0)3731-366-0
Fax: +49-(0)3731-366-130
E-Mail: mailbox@filkfreiberg.de