High Performance Leather based on in Situ Formation of Reduced Graphene Oxide in Chrome Tanning

A novel method of high performance leather prepared via in situ reduction of graphene oxide after tanning was proposed in this research. First, nano-graphene oxide (GO) was prepared by an improved Hummers method. Then, the prepared GO was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Finally, GO was added during the chrome tanning process, and GO was reduced by ascorbic acid after the chrome tanning was completed. Moreover, the shrinkage temperature, tensile strength, tear strength and thermal conductivity of the finished leather were investigated. The results showed that the absorption of chrome tanning agent was significantly improved by the addition of GO. The tensile strength, tear strength, and the thermal conductivity of the resulted leather obviously surpassed the leather tanned by chrome tanning agent. Specifically, the tensile strength and tear strength of the leather reached 21.25 MPa and 163.95 N·mm-1 , respectively, when the amount of reducing agent was ten times the amount of GO. A combination of the tanning of leather and the in situ reduction of GO is expected to become a new processing method for preparation of high performance.