PU (polyurethane) faux (synthetic) leather material is using knitted fabrics, woven fabrics, or non-woven fabrics because the substrate and coated with polyurethane resin. PU leather material The fabric may be used for a wide range such as shoes, apparel, furniture, handbags etc.
Real leather is peeled off from animals, like pigskin, sheepskin, crocodile skin, etc. The initial layer of leather is directly processed from the raw skin of varied animals or cut the thick skin of cattle, pigs, horses, etc into upper and lower layers. The upper part is processed into the first-layer of leather. The next layer of leather is really a mix of PU resin and the lower layer of skin or scrap material of the pet skin. The toughness, handfeel, and abrasion resistance of the second layer are much lower than the first layer of leather.
How to distinguish real leather and PU leather?
First, we must identify from the aspects of leather pattern, pores, etc. Is seen in the surface of natural leather, the pores do exist, and the distribution is uneven, there’s animal fibers, side section, and the layers are obvious, and there is animal fibers in the low layer. Try with your fingernails, you will have leather fibers, there is a feeling of napping, and handful of fibers can be removed, and the faux leather can easily see the fabric, there is absolutely no animal fiber in the medial side, and the general epidermal does not have any pores, however, many are imitation leather pores, there will be undesirable pores, a few of the patterns are not obvious, or have a compared artificial pattern, and the pores are also quite consistent. At the moment, they could be carefully observed by aid from magnifying glass, or can easily see the fine difference.
Generally speaking, the prices of real leather (especially the first layer leather) are very higher than PU leather, so is real leather is with much better properties than PU? The solution is not any. Real leather is expensive is due to its many reasons. Such as for example scarce sources and tedious processing of animal skins. Nowadays with the development of technology, nature leather cannot achieve many excellent properties of PU leather especially solvent-free PU and DMF-free water-based PU. Because of their excellent physical & chemical properties, healthy & eco-friendly & animal-friendly performance, good uniformity, etc, Europe and USA, etc are highly respected and gradually choose innovative PU leather rather than real leather.