Leather - Chemical tests - Determination of matter soluble in dichloromethane and free fatty acid content
Material
Industry
Our test laboratory performs testing according to DIN EN ISO 4048 professionally and within an accredited procedure.
DIN EN ISO 4048 specifies a test method for determining organic substances in leather that are soluble in dichloromethane and thereby enables the assessment of the fat content of leather.
Test Procedure
By extracting shredded leather material with dichloromethane, soluble organic substances such as natural leather fats, added fatliquoring agents, waxes, or other lipophilic components are removed from the leather structure. After evaporation of the solvent, the extracted substances are determined gravimetrically and reported as a mass fraction relative to the test specimen. Optionally, the free fatty acid content can also be determined from the extract.
The DIN EN ISO 4048 test is an important instrument for quality control of leather and leather products. The content of soluble substances influences, among other things, ageing resistance, odour development, surface behaviour, dyeability, and mechanical properties of the material. The standard is applied, for example, to footwear leather, furniture and upholstery leather, garment leather, as well as technical leather applications.
The standard is also included in specifications and supply requirements such as those of the German Armed Forces (TL 8330-0016), Volkswagen (VW TL 52064), Faurecia, Birkenstock, and others.