Non-Woven Fabric as a Potential Linen for Synthetic Leather in Upholstery Stuff

The use of artificial leather in the field of upholstery requires the presence of linings that serve as a pillar for these leathers to gain the properties of durability and flexibility necessary for this industry, which calls for manufacturers to use foam on a large scale in the furniture industry. In this research, three synthetic leather samples with thicknesses of 1.01 mm, 1.17 mm, and 1.59 mm underwent lining with two different non-woven materials, that is, needle punch and spun-bonded types, while the third was artificial foam. Lined samples were investigated, aiming to evaluate the best mechanical and physical properties of the nonwoven linen type compared to popularly used artificial foam. Our investigation showed that the best tensile strength and the best punch force resistance are for synthetic leather lined with spun-bonded non-woven of an average free thickness of 1.82 mm and a compression ratio of 3.2%. However, the best fluid absorption is for synthetic leather lined with synthetic foam of a free thickness of 10.28 mm and an 82% compression ratio. This results in encouraging the use of non-woven as a durable material instead of foam when calling for the best tensile strength and punch force resistance.