Leather is known for being strong and stylish, but it’s usually too hot to wear in tropical or desert regions. That could change soon. A group of scientists from India and Egypt has created a new kind of leather that stays cool, even in warm weather.
The team includes researchers from India’s CSIR-Central Leather Research Institute (CSIR-CLRI) and the Desert Research Centre in Cairo, Egypt.
They have invented a special kind of smart leather using something called phase change materials, or PCMs. These are materials that can absorb and release heat depending on the surrounding temperature.
What’s really exciting is that they didn’t use any synthetic chemicals to make this leather cooler. Instead, they recycled waste from leather factories.
They used scraps from tanneries to create activated carbon, which holds a substance called n-eicosane. This combination helps the leather adjust to temperature changes.
“We used raw trimmings from tanneries to create micro and mesoporous activated carbon, which acts as a carrier for our phase change material, n-eicosane”
Dr. Nishad Fathima, Chief Scientist, CSIR-CLRI
PCMs have already been used in clothing, buildings, and even computers. But using them in leather is something new.
The researchers say this leather is stable, keeps its shape, and does a great job of absorbing heat. It’s a mix of traditional leather making and modern science.
For years, countries like India and Egypt have mostly produced leather, while colder countries have been the main users. This innovation could change that.
Now, leather might be just as useful in hot cities like Cairo or Chennai as it is in cold places like New York or Berlin.
According to the scientists, this leather isn’t just about staying cool. It’s also a step toward sustainability. It uses waste materials and helps tackle the growing demand for climate-friendly fashion.
The PCM concept can be extended for use of leather in extreme cold climates too, to provide latent heat storage in negative temperatures as low as -40°C.
This smart leather could also be used in cars, furniture, and protective gear. It can even be designed to hold heat in cold environments like keeping your car seat warm in freezing weather without needing to turn on the heater.
In conclusion, this new invention could reshape how we think about leather. By making it adaptable to both hot and cold temperatures, the researchers are opening up new markets and making the material more eco-friendly at the same time.
Source – Nature.com
