What Is The Difference Between PU Leather And Silicone Leather

What is PU leather

What is silicone leather

Z.S.R work with the different industry product fabric selection designers, product developer, R&D engineer, product manager together designs and make the Silicone leather fabric in an assortment of tear strength, hydrolysis resistance, waterproof and stain resistant, Wear resistant and scratch resistant, Heat/Cold temperature resistance, base layer, colors and texture to empower their product’s project success in design and functional requirements.

How is PU leather and silicone leather made?

PU leather production process

Mixing waste: Polyurethane resin is mixed with pigments, etc., to form a good solid shape.

‌Coatings: The mixed material is coated on the wet fabric and the polyurethane material is cured through the water tank.

Surface treatment: The coated material is embossed, color adjusted or pattern printed.

Silicone leather production steps

1. Z.S, R worker will mix liquid silicone rubber, color paste, and platinum vulcanizer evenly and coated once. The uncured silicone is made into a film of a certain thickness by a roller, and then the surface of the silicone is completely cured by a hot roller with a specific pattern to obtain a silicone sheet with a textured film;

2.The silicone sheet with a textured film is pressed with the base layer, initially vulcanized, and the textured film is peeled off to obtain a silicone leather semi-finished product with a texture;

3. Hand-feel oil is applied on the texture surface of the silicone leather semi-finished product with a texture, and finally vulcanized.

‌What is the appearance and texture of PU leather

Appearance: PU leather can imitate the texture and luster of real leather in appearance, showing a similar texture and luster to real leather, giving people a noble and elegant feeling. However, compared to real leather, the texture and gloss of PU leather often appear more artificial, lacking the natural feel and depth of genuine leather ‌.

Texture: Although the texture of PU leather can imitate real leather, its feel is slightly astringent and lacks the soft and elastic characteristics of real leather. When touched, PU leather will give a more blunt feeling, the lack of smooth and natural leather ‌. In addition, PU leather does not have the natural lines and pores of real leather, and the surface is smoother ‌.

What is the appearance and texture of silicone leather

Appearance: The appearance of silicone leather usually presents a smooth, delicate quality, bright colors and is not easy to fade. Its surface is easy to clean, not easy to absorb dust and stains.

Texture: Silicone leather feels soft and smooth, with good elasticity, can bounce back quickly after pressing, without leaving obvious marks. In addition, the texture of silicone leather is strong plasticity, providing designers with rich creative inspiration.

What are the properties of PU leather

‌Wear resistance and softness: PU leather has excellent wear resistance and softness, which can resist wear and scratching in daily use, while being very comfortable to sit and touch. 

‌Waterproofness: PU leather has a certain waterproof, can resist rain and wet environment, keep dry and comfortable. 

‌Breathability: Although the air permeability of PU leather is relatively poor, in some types, its air permeability can reach 8000-14000g/24h/cm², which is suitable for making waterproof and breathable clothing. 

Environmental protection property: PU leather non-toxic, no smell, no pollution, in line with the modern concept of environmental protection. 

‌Workability and appearance: PU leather is easy to process and shape, suitable for a variety of cutting and sewing, smooth surface and high gloss, good appearance ‌.

What are the properties of silicone leather

Environmental protection property: Silicone leather is a new type of environmental protection material, the use of solvent-free technology, non-toxic and tasteless, production and use process are green products. It is mainly made of baby pacifier grade silicone and is environmentally friendly.

Serviceableness: Silicone leather has extremely high wear resistance and scratch resistance, and has been tested by Martindale for up to 50,000 times of wear. In addition, it also has good yellowing resistance and corrosion resistance, can keep the color unchanged within 24 hours, and corrosion resistance is strong. Silicone leather at 100℃ after 72 hours no change, showing excellent aging resistance.

Security: Silicone leather has good biocompatibility, low cytotoxicity, meets the standards in the medical field, and is non-carcinogenic. It has good biocompatibility to the human body, physiological inertia and anticoagulant, will not cause cancer, so it has a wide range of applications in medicine, such as artificial joints and artificial skin.

Waterproof and antifouling: Silicone leather has excellent waterproof performance, the surface is clean after a wipe, and can be dribbled into beads, water molecules can not pass through the surface. It has natural anti-fouling and waterproofing for common stains and can be removed with a wipe.

Weather fastness: Silicone leather exhibits excellent resistance to hydrolysis and light. After more than 10 weeks of testing in a high temperature and humidity environment (such as 70℃ and 95% humidity), the leather surface does not appear sticky, shiny or brittle. In addition, silicone leather is excellent in resistance to sunlight fading, and can still maintain stability and color unchanged after ten years of exposure. ‌

What areas will PU leather be used in

Leatherware: PU materials are widely used in the field of leather products, such as bags, shoes, belts, seats, etc. Due to its good wear resistance, tear resistance and strong plasticity, PU leather products can simulate natural leather in appearance and texture, and the price is more affordable.

Architecture and decoration: PU materials also play an important role in the field of architecture and decoration. It is used as thermal insulation material, sound insulation material and wall decoration. The good thermal insulation performance and environmental protection characteristics of PU materials make it an ideal choice in modern architecture.

Atomobile industry: In the automotive industry, PU materials are widely used in the manufacture of seats, steering wheels, dashboards and other components. Its excellent wear resistance and anti-aging properties make the interior parts of the car more durable, while the comfort of PU material also enhances the driving experience. 

Medical equipment and sports equipment: Because PU material has good elasticity and fatigue resistance, it is also widely used in medical devices and sports equipment. For example, the production of some sports protective gear, rehabilitation equipment and medical mattresses. In addition, PU material is often used to make some waterproof breathable sportswear.

In addition to the above fields, PU materials are also widely used in furniture, electronics, aerospace and other fields. For example, in furniture manufacturing, PU material is used to make soft bags, cushions, etc.In the aerospace field, PU material is used to manufacture some key components due to its good performance and stability.

What areas will silicone leather be used in

Fashion product: Silicone leather has a soft feel and colorful color choice, suitable for the manufacture of handbags, belts, gloves, wallets, watch bands, mobile phone cases and other fashion products.

‌Furniture life: The waterproof, anti-fouling and oil-proof properties of silicone leather make it suitable for the manufacture of household articles, such as placemats, coasters, tablecloths, throw pillows, mattresses and so on.

‌Medical equipment: Silicone leather is non-toxic, tasteless, not easy to produce dust and bacterial growth, suitable for medical equipment accessories, gloves, protective pads and other manufacturing.

Food packaging: Silicone leather with corrosion resistance, waterproof, anti-fouling and other characteristics, suitable for food packaging bags, tableware packaging bags and other manufacturing.

Auto spare parts: Silicone leather has wear resistance, high temperature resistance and other characteristics, suitable for the manufacture of auto parts, such as steering wheel cover, seat cushion, visor and so on.

Children product: Silicone leather has reached the food and Drug Inspection Administration food grade standards, can be used for children’s toys, children’s furniture, child seats and other products.

What is the price difference between PU leather and silicone leather

‌PU leather: PU leather is a kind of artificial leather, the price usually ranges from 10-60 USD, the specific price depends on the quality and use of the product. The price of ordinary PU leather is roughly 3-6 USD/code, while the price of microfiber leather is generally 5-15 USD/code.

Silicone leather: The price of silicone leather is relatively high. On the market, the price of silicone is about 4 USD to 7 USD per kilogram. The specific price of silicone leather will also be affected by its excellent physical properties and environmental performance.

silicone leather VS other leather

subject		Polymer silicon material Finished leather	natural leather	PVC artificial leather	PU synthetic leather	Microfiber PU Finished leather
principal raw material		non-woven fabric, etc.	Pigskin, cowhide, sheepskin, etc.	PVC resin, non-woven	Knitted fabrics, woven fabrics	PU resin microfiber non-woven fabrics, etc.
dermatosis		fine	fine	range	fair	fine
Feel, elasticity		fine	fine	poor	poor	fine
Color, pattern		more	fair	fair	More	fair
preparation technology		dry process	Tanning and nitrificati	dry process	Wet and dry process	Microfiber weaving, wet, reduction, dry process
working life		5-15 years	5-10 years	2-5 years	2-5 years	2-10years
price		80-300	150-300 yuan per Square meter	6-15 yuan per square meter	7-25 yuan per square meter	50-100 yuan per square meter
Ecological and environmental protection	Environmental protection of raw	pollution-free	serious pollution of auxiliary materials	Have some pollution	Better than pre-artificial leather	fair
	Environment all pollution during production	pollution-free	more	fair	fair	There is a benzene reduction process Fixed pollution
	Health and safety of products	safe	relatively safe	In danger harm	relatively safe	There is a benzene reduction process Fixed pollution
	Environment all protection of products sex	recyclable	degradable	degradation-resistant	degradation-resistant	degradable
	Waste disposal method		large	large	fair	fair

Conclusion

PU and silicone leather may be can some application, but they are significant differences between silica gel leather and PU leather in terms of composition, production process, performance and environmental protection characteristics. Silicone leather with its non-toxic and harmless, environmental protection and durable, flame retardant performance and other characteristics, in many fields to show a strong competitiveness and broad market prospects. PU leather, with its moderate price and wide range of applications, continues to meet the diversified needs of the market. When choosing these two materials, users should make comprehensive consideration according to the specific application scenarios and needs to choose the most suitable for their own products.

The silicone leather provides an innovative, durable, and sustainable coated fabric option for Marine, Furniture, Automotive, Healthcare, Sports, 3C Electronics, Handbags, Baby products, upholstery etc.

Z.S.R work with the different industry product fabric selection designers, product developer, R&D engineer, product manager, Material Specialists, Fabric Specialist, Material Consultant together to customized the silicone leather according to the needs of customers, with fabric layer base, textures, thicknesses and colors to fit their project needs and ensure their project success. Our engineers provide sample analysis, which can quickly match customer needs and 100% match sample to meet the customized of different customers’ request.

Contact Z.S.R silicone to get your own needed silicone leather to ensure your project success!