Textile and Leather Chemicals

What are textile and leather chemicals and how do you choose them?

Textile and leather chemicals are the auxiliaries that provide quality and repeatability in pretreatment, dyeing, finishing and leather processing. Wetting agents and detergents prepare the fabric for dyeing; levelling agents ensure even dye uptake; softeners (silicone, cationic) define the handle; finishing products add water/stain repellency and durability; in leather, tanning auxiliaries and fatliquors give fullness and softness.

Selection depends on fibre or leather type, dye class, machine and liquor ratio, water hardness and the target handle.

Selection criteria

• Fibre: cotton, polyester, viscose, blends; leather type and thickness
• Dye class (reactive, disperse, acid) and process temperature
• Machine type (jet, overflow, winch, pad) and liquor ratio
• Water hardness and metal ions
• Target handle, yellowing limit, hydrophilicity and wash fastness

Use and dosage

Typical use: wetting agent 0.5–2 g/L; levelling agent 0.5–2 g/L or 0.5–1.5% owf; silicone softener 1–4% owf by exhaustion, 10–40 g/L by padding; leather fatliquor 4–12% on shaved weight. Sequence, temperature and pH are as decisive as the dose; recipes are optimised in the laboratory and in a mill trial with your own fabric or leather.

The ranges given are typical values; the exact dosage is determined by the product’s Technical Data Sheet (TDS) and a trial in your own process.

Packaging, storage and shelf life

Supplied in 25–30 kg cans, 120–200 kg drums and IBCs. Store between +5 °C and +35 °C, protected from frost; shelf life 6 months for emulsion products and 12 months for others.

Why Biyopol?

Biyopol Kimya is an industrial chemicals manufacturer producing in İzmir, Türkiye since 1992. It offers own-brand products and contract manufacturing in nine product groups, provides a TDS/SDS for every product, runs trials in its laboratory and at the customer’s site, and supplies in cans, drums and IBCs.