Abstract:
Upholstery leather manufacture , like
many other branches of the industry, is
in a rapid state of flux at this time.
Although the manufacture of upholstery
leather has been characterized for years
by rocker tannage, with vegetable
extracts, the majority of the industry has
shifted or is in the process of shifting to
lime-split drum-tanned upholstery
leather.
At times mineral salts such as chrome
or zirconium may be used alone or in
combination with the vegetable tannins.
The primary purpose of such usage is
to achieve certain leather effects such
as softness but also to “tie-down” the
excess vegetable tannins and thus
prevent migration which might lead to a
colour change of light coloured finishes.
