Aniline leather is a type of

leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffalo, pigs and hogs, ...

dyed exclusively with soluble

dye A dye is a colored substance that chemically bonds to the substrate to which it is being applied. This distinguishes dyes from pigments which do not chemically bind to the material they color. Dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution an ...

s. The dye colours the leather without producing the uniform surface of a topcoat paint or insoluble pigmented sealant. The resulting product retains the hide's natural surface. Any visible variations on the surface of the undyed leather such as visible pores, scars, or other blemishes will remain visible. For this reason, only high quality leather is suitable for aniline finishing. Originally, the dyes used for this process were synthesized from

aniline Aniline is an organic compound with the formula C6 H5 NH2. Consisting of a phenyl group attached to an amino group, aniline is the simplest aromatic amine In organic chemistry, an aromatic amine is an organic compound consisting of an aroma ...

through

chemical reaction A chemical reaction is a process that leads to the IUPAC nomenclature for organic transformations, chemical transformation of one set of chemical substances to another. Classically, chemical reactions encompass changes that only involve the pos ...

s. These dyes used to be called '

aniline dyes Aniline is an organic compound with the formula C6 H5 NH2. Consisting of a phenyl group attached to an amino group, aniline is the simplest aromatic amine. It is an industrially significant commodity chemical, as well as a versatile starting ...

' or 'tar dyes'. In modern times, the dyes used are subject to laws and regulations in many countries, and the use of certain

azo compounds Azo compounds are organic compounds bearing the functional group diazenyl (, in which R and R′ can be either aryl or alkyl groups). IUPAC defines azo compounds as: "Derivatives of diazene (diimide), , wherein both hydrogens are substituted ...

is prohibited in the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...

as there are reasons to assume health risks.European Ban on Certain Azo Dyes
, Dr. A. Püntener and Dr. C. Page, Quality and Environment, TFL Aniline leather may be referred to as "full aniline" to differentiate between this dye treatment and variants. Semi-aniline leather is produced through a very similar process to full-aniline, but has a thin protective top coat added to protect it from wear and staining. Pull-up aniline leather has additional oil or wax applied to the leather to give it a distressed look.
Leather Care Master

References

{{leather Leathermaking Leather