Synthetic leather incorporating recovered PVC
The aim was to assess the suitability of incorporating PVC recovered from multilayer textiles produced by ERT into a coating formulation for synthetic leather.
What was achieved and what that learned
It was found that the incorporation of 20 phr of recycled PVC powder into the main coating layer was successful. Furthermore, it should be noted that the synthetic leather (coating and knit) met all the requirements for use in upholstery.
Testing of coating formulations and the production of synthetic leather was carried out by an external company contacted by ERT. PVC recovery was carried out by AIMPLAS using solvents on multilayer textiles supplied by ERT. ERT also provided technical information to both AIMPLAS and the external company.
Future visions
In the near future, ERT plans to produce prototypes of its products using the synthetic leather it has developed. It is worth noting that the production of this prototype represents a way of closing the ERT waste cycle, as a raw material extracted from the waste was incorporated into the product. Consequently, potential industrial-scale production could lead to a reduction in waste treatment by incineration and lower costs for the company.