New finishing from Dow Corning

Dow Corning, a leading global supplier of silicone solutions for the leather industry, have developed a new range of products which allow manufacturers to customise the finish of their leather products to meet the exact needs of their customers. The products are the first of a new 'sense the difference' line of finishes developed exclusively for the leather market. There are currently eight products in the range: Dow Corning 5-7031 LF emulsion, 5-7033LF suspension, 5-7194 LF emulsion, 57222 LF emulsion, 5-7784 LF emulsion, 5-7787 LF emulsion, 5-7818 LF emulsion and 5-7997 LF emulsion. The new line has been developed to specifically address touch, appearance, sound and comfort of leathers. In addition to a wide range of handles from soft and slippery to dry and waxy, the new products from Dow Corning also provide varying levels of matt or gloss appearance and sound reduction. For some applications, such as automotive, other benefits have been introduced such as wet and dry rub resistance. Due to the critical role leather plays in creating the right vehicle interior, Liz Mallen, global leather marketing manager, identifies the luxury automotive market as one of the industries that could most benefit from the 'sense the difference' line. The eight new products are also suitable for use in leather finishes for furniture and garments. The range includes emulsions and dispersions and is based on a variety of silicone types with varying active level, surfactant type, particle size and pH. Dow Corning anticipate the regular addition of new products, features and benefits to the 'sense the difference' range. The company are committing significant resources to this development programme. In addition, Dow Corning provide formulation assistance, technical support, testing services and global product supply.