What’s the Difference Between Aniline and Semi-Aniline Leather?
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When considering leather seat trim, you might have encountered the terms “aniline” and “semi-aniline.” Here’s a brief overview of these types of leather to enhance your automotive knowledge.
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Aniline leather
Aniline leather is the most natural-looking leather that still displays unique surface characteristics of the hide (i.e. scars, wrinkles, and markings). Interestingly enough, the word “aniline” has to do with the type of dye used in making the final leather product, after the tanning treatment. This type of leather is dyed exclusively with aniline dyes, which are translucent and water-soluble.
Usually soft and tanned animal hides, like Nappa leather, fall into the aniline category. Another way to tell if your vehicle’s leather seats are aniline or not is if it develops a natural patina over time.
It’s important to note that aniline leather requires a bit more maintenance than semi-aniline. That’s because this leather lacks a protective additive to help preserve it.
Semi-aniline leather
Semi-aniline, on the other hand, is leather that has been only slightly pigmented, with a thin layer of color on the surface. This protective color layer makes it more resistant to stains than aniline leather.
It’s worth noting that semi-aniline is a middle ground between aniline and pigmented leather. (Pigmented leather has a layer of tinted polymer coating the surface, which makes it more durable than aniline and semi-aniline.)
A special kind of aniline
There’s also another category of leather that make things a bit more complicated: “aniline leather, refined.” This leather is partway between aniline and semi-aniline. Though it has less pigmentation than semi-alinine, it has a more distinct pore pattern typical of aniline leather.
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News Sources: OctaneSeating.com, Leather-Dictionary.com, BestLeather.org, All About Leather
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