Mechanical Properties of Lining Leathers Finished with the Addition of Oregano Essential Oil

Abstract

The hygienic properties of lining leathers can be improved significantly by introducing oregano essential oil into leathers. This is because adding antiseptic oil makes leathers more resistant to microorganisms that are potentially harmful to humans and cause damage to animal leathers. The paper presents the results of tests to check selected mechanical properties -tensile strength, elongation and tear load -of leathers fatliquored with oregano essential oil at a concentration of 3% w/w and without this treatment.The tests were carried out on the Instron 5544 testing machine.The leathers enriched with oil met the standard requirements set for lining leathers for of the parameters: tensile strength and elongation. Statistical analysis using the chi-squared, Hartley and Fisher-Snedecor tests at an assumed significance level of α = 0.05 revealed that leather enriched with oregano essential oil has a significantly higher tensile strength than leather fatliquored without this oil, while both leather samples Elżbieta Bielak, Cracow University of Economics, Faculty of Commodity Science and Product Management, Department of Industrial Commodity Science, Rakowicka 27, 31-510 Kraków, e-mail: bielake@uek.krakow.pl Ewa Marcinkowska, Cracow University of Economics, Faculty of Commodity Science and Product Management, Department of Industrial Commodity Science, Rakowicka 27, 31-510 Kraków, e-mail: etmarcin@cyf-kr.edu.pl * This paper presents the results of a research project co-financed from Ministry of Science and Higher Education funds granted to the Faculty of Commodity Science at the Cracow University of Economics for research projects implemented by young scientists and doctoral research fellows and for maintaining research potential. Elżbieta Bielak, Ewa Marcinkowska 20showed no significant difference in elongation and tear load. Thus, it can be concluded that adding 3% w/w of oil will have not have an adverse effect on basic mechanical properties of leathers.

Application of Chromatographic and Microbiological Analyses to Identify and Assess the Durability of Antimicrobial Properties of Innovative Materials for the Footwear Industry─Leather Modified with Origanum vulgare Oil

“…Research work aimed at obtaining leather intended for internal components of footwear, which have long-lasting effect of resistance to bacterial and fungal harmful activity, especially the microorganisms which are hazardous to human health or responsible for deterioration of leather, has also been conducted in Poland. New actual trends in this research concern the use of essential oils and different methods of applying them onto leatherduring bath finishing or by spraying. − The strongest and longest lasting antimicrobial effect of lining leather, verified in tests after storing the samples for 12 months, was obtained by introducing essential oil from the plant species Origanum vulgare at a concentration of 3% by leather mass together with a fatliquoring mixture . Furthermore, this oil has been shown to have lower toxicity to humans and the environment as compared with commercially available synthetic biocides used in the tanning industry .…”