BASF launched the first aqueous acrylic binders for base coats on the market in the 1930s. Lacquer emulsions for top coats first appeared on the market at the beginning of the 1950s. These products typically consisted of solutions of cellulose nitrate or cellulose acetobutyrate in organic solvents, dispersed in water.

This paper is divided into several sections and to start with it is important to understand basic concepts and general observations when dealing with water vapour permeability. It is also useful to explain the difference between the water storage capacity, the water vapour absorption and the water vapour permeability.

Dear Sirs!

I am a regular reader of Leather International and like it due to its contents.

As far as I am aware, nobody has ever proved that a positive chrome (VI) result means that chrome (VI) was actually in the leather'. There has been much work carried out into the determination of hexavalent chromium in leather, but as Dr Nick Cory, head of the Leather Research Laboratory, commented at the Y2K American Leather Chemists conference, the inference that there was chrome (VI) in the leather, and that it is not just an artefact of the determination method, is hard to substantiate.

In answer to your questions: We have consolidated all of our US based tannery operations into our Paul Flagg Leather plant in Sheboygan, WI, to help us improve our efficiencies and control costs. The companies have not merged.

This letter comes to you with good wishes from your newly-elected president, and from your hard-working secretariat. To those of you who attended our last council meeting in Hong Kong in April, thanks for your support. Those of you who were not able to attend can read the excellent report of these proceedings in the June issue of Leather International magazine.

TFL have produced the new forecast of fashion colours for leather for the spring/summer 2003 season, in association with Italian designer Sergio Belloni.

The Leather Orientation Course will be held at the University of Cincinnati October 3-5, 2001, and is designed specifically for professionals involved in leather purchasing, quality control or product design, as well as newer tannery employees.

The Union Commerce Ministry is contemplating a package of measures to check what is being described as 'clandestine' exports of semi-finished leather. Sources indicated that the Ministry would 'draw from the suggestions' made in this regard by the Council for Leather Exports.

This month, US bagmakers Coach Inc and Sumitomo Corp are planning to set up a 50:50 joint venture, Coach Japan Inc, to set up and run Coach shops in Japan.

A Latin American Footwear Congress was held in Medellin just before the International Footwear and Leather Show, July 11-13, which could well result in an ambitious, long term strategy for the marketing of footwear and leathergoods throughout the Americas.

The Tannery and Footwear Corporation (TAFCO) has been finally closed down with the loss of 500 workers. The district administration has locked the factory gate and deployed police at the factory to break up any unrest among the workers.

Several new initiatives will be introduced at the 2002 Panamerican Leather Fair (PAL) scheduled to take place at the Miami Beach Convention Centre in Miami Beach, Florida, on January 20-22, 2002.

Italian luxury goods company Gucci have announced that they have acquired a 70% share of Italian men's footwear company Regain for an undisclosed sum. Regain makes 70,000 pairs of shoes per year and employ 50 people.

A fault believed to be in an electric installation is the most probable cause of the fire which affected the offices of the Lefa tannery.

Beacon Controls and Dextralog have merged to form one company, BarcoVision Ltd. The two divisions have been merged in order to maximise potential and now form part of the global Barco Group who employ 4,800 people in 97 countries. The merger creates the UK's largest automation company specialising in the textile and leather sectors.

Wollsdorf Leder have recorded a 21% increase in turnover for the 2000/2001 financial year to reach ATS988 million (US$63.2 million).

The Council for Leather Exports (CLE) have warned that the agitation by the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) against the Indian leather industry would serve no purpose in furthering animal welfare reform but could have an adverse effect on the large workforce.

Singapore-based Jackspeed Leather Special Pte Ltd expect their plant in Kluang, Johor, to contribute RM25 million (US$6.6 million) in turnover this year, up from RM22 million in the previous financial year.

Booking space for Pielespaña International 2002 is now possible. The show is to be held from January 18-21 next year in Hall 1 of Fira de Barcelona, Spain. Following this year's successful show, 85% of exhibitors expressed a wish to return to the exhibition last year, as did 91% of visitors.

In July this year, SADESA of Argentina launched their first processing arrangements in China. The plant, Nanhai Mimosa Leathers Ltd, is located in Nanhai, a 30-minute drive from the centre of Guangzhou.

The Bata Shoe Company Bangladesh Ltd are reported to have taken a tax rebate of Tk1.23 crore (US$ 214,000) on the basis of a supposed payment of the tax by three supplier companies. Customs officials found that the suppliers did not pay VAT and consequently they cancelled the rebate asking the company to pay the amount immediately.

About 4,000 out of the 25,000 workers have quit the Leather and Footwear Corporation of Viet Nam (Leaprodexim) to work for private enterprises and foreign-invested enterprises, according to general director Nguyen Khac Thanh.

The meat processing factory in the Bobojonghafurov district in northern Tajikistan has recently diversified its production to include the manufacture of leather clothing. The factory operates under the Myasmolprom meat and milk industry corporation.

'Meeting the environmental challenge' is the subject of the BLC Leather Technology Centre Cleantech 2001 seminar scheduled for November 1 and 2, near Birmingham , UK.

BASF have announced a further 1,200 redundancies as the company announced a 79% drop in second quarter profits compared with the same period of 2000. The company had previously announced the loss of 2,800 jobs in the next 18 months.

Speciality chemicals company Rohm and Haas have reported net sales of just under US$3 billion, down from US$3.3 billion for the same period of the previous year. Gross profit fell from just over US$1 billion in the first six months of 2000 to US$853 million in 2001. However, net earnings climbed from US$ 200 million to US$ 305 million.

Swiss speciality chemicals company Clariant posted a SF1.3 billion (US$769 million) loss and finally admitted that it had paid too much for UK speciality chemicals company BTP last year.

The recently established ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) subcommittee have developed and received approval for four new test methods and one revised method specifically for wet-blue.

Bayer's sales from continuing operations (which exclude the EC Erdölchemie and Fibers business groups) rose by 8% in the first half of 2001 compared with the same period of the previous year to reach Euro15.6 billion (US$13.8 billion). However, the operating result before exceptional items shrank 23% to Euro1.5 billion (US$1.3 billion). 'This decline in earnings is very disappointing', said Dr Manfred Schneider, chairman.

After months of further inactivity, Sam Setter has finally taken the bull by the horns and set up a leather industry website which he hopes will give a platform for putting the records straight.

After over 140 years of making leather, Salz are shutting down. 'We've had a great history. But with the global changes in the leather business, we cannot continue to operate' said Geoff Eisenberg, CEO, in early August.

The Leather Association of Zambia and the Zambian government have removed duty on tannery machinery and equipment to stimulate growth. The Zambian government has been co-operating to substantially improve the supply of hides to tanneries by encouraging exports of value added products.