Development of a composition for footwear using secondary recycled materials

Abstract

The object of this study is the process of forming a coating on a chromium-tanned split leather semi-finished product. The study is aimed at developing an optimal formulation of a finishing composition for the production of footwear upper leather.A technology has been developed for forming a decorative coating on chromium-tanned split hides from pigs and heavy cattle. The composition of the finishing formulation was determined through computer modeling and multiparameter optimization using Har-rington’s desirability function. Based on the analysis of the physico-mechanical properties of the resulting monolithic films, the qualitative composition of the film-forming finishing composition was established.Computer-aided modeling of the "composition – property" system for a three-component formulation, using the Scheffé mathematical model, enabled the derivation of analytical relationships between the physico-mechanical properties of the finishing composition and its constituents. The optimal composition was determined at the maximum values of the desirability function and physico-mechanical parameters through multiparameter optimization.The leather produced using the optimal composition was tested under industrial conditions and complies with DSTU 2726-94 and DSTU 3115-95, for upper footwear leather and leather for garment production, respectively. The use of a highly porous chromium-tanned split leather semi-product derived from pig hides ensures the production of high-quality, elastic upper leather.The developed finishing technology for split hides of pigs and heavy cattle demonstrates significant potential for use in the manu-facture of everyday footwear.