Leather Surface Research Articles

Durable, Photostable Omniphobic Synthetic Leather Surfaces with Anti-Biofouling Properties for Hygienic Applications.

Globally, the public health domain is increasingly emphasizing the need for surfaces that can resist bacterial contamination, as the consumption of bacteria-infected substance may cause illnesses. Thus, this study aimed to modify polyurethane (PU) synthetic leather surfaces by coating their upper layer with fluorine-functionalized nano-silica particles (FNPs). This simple modification imparted omniphobic characteristics, realizing anti-biofouling and self-cleaning properties. The effectiveness in preventing bacterial adhesion was confirmed by the dip-inoculation method using Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Bacterial adhesion was evaluated based on bacterial counts using the pour plate method and by directly enumerating from scanning electron microscopy images. The attachment of bacteria to the modified omniphobic FNPs-coated PU leather surface decreased by over 98.2% compared to that on the bare surface. We expect that the method developed in this study will significantly reduce or even eliminate the potential risks associated with various biological cross-contamination scenarios, thereby enhancing hygiene standards.

Non-staining resistance to dyes and odors of synthetic leathers composed of polyurethane resins with different glass transition temperatures

The objective of this study was to develop a highly durable synthetic leather with excellent resistance to light discoloration and deterioration without the use of fluorine or silicon and a surface that is resistant to dyes and odors. Environment-friendly biomass feedstock was used as the reaction component. Firstly, polyurethane (PU) resins with varying glass transition temperatures ( Tg) were synthesized. Subsequently, these were used as surface treatment agents for synthetic leather, and the relationship between the non-staining performance of the PU resin and the Tg values was discussed. In addition, the physical durability over time was investigated. The non-staining performance of the synthetic leather surface against dyed clothing and the odor of ammonia evidently depended on the Tg of the PU resin used as the surface treatment agent. The Tg range that is the most convenient for practical purposes, and the related best light discoloration and degradation resistance and bending resistance, were confirmed, and serve as indicators that the material can be used as a highly durable interior material.

Hydrophobic Coating of Vegetable-Tanned Leather with Dodecylamine

Vegetable-tanned leather exhibits a hydrophilic character due to the abundance of hydroxyl groups (-OH). In this study, the surface of vegetable-tanned leather was modified to become hydrophobic. The leather was coated using dodecylamine (DDA) through the padding method in the finishing process. The concentration of DDA varied from 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4% to identify the optimum concentration. The coating process was assisted by an activator, either acid or base, to improve the adhesion of DDA to leather. Uncoated vegetable-tanned leather was used as a control. The success of coating was identified using FT-IR and SEM-EDX analysis. The hydrophobicity of leather was conducted through a water resistance test. The success of coating is shown by the increase in their weight and thickness. Absorption bands of alkyl and amino groups of DDA are observed in FT-IR spectra around 1450 cm-1 and 3400 cm-1, respectively. SEM micrographs show that coated leathers have flatter surfaces as a consequence of DDA attachment on the leather surface. The water resistance test proves that the use of DDA can improve the leather hydrophobicity and enhance the water absorption time by up to 4 times. The optimum water absorption time is obtained when using 2% DDA.

Eco-friendly Chrome Tanning of Leather using Ultrasound Technique

This article describes the development of an environmentally friendly chrome tanning process of leather using ultrasound. Most of the leathers are tanned by the conventional method using basic chromium sulfate. It is one of the most polluting and time-consuming steps in leather processing. Investigations were carried out on ultrasound assisted eco-friendly tanning process so that the chrome tanning agent could provide better quality leather. Effects of using ultrasound in chrome tanning process were studied at different pH, tanning time, tanning agent dosage, and then compared with that of conventional method. Tanned leathers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), photomicrographic analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX). SEM analyses of the surface and cross-section of the tanned leather showed that fiber structures were not affected by ultrasound. It was also found that the shrinkage temperature of leather tanned with ultrasound was increased by about 5-29 °C. Chrome uptake and content were found to increase by 30-50% and 1-7%, respectively. Tanning time was shortened from 6 hours to 2 hours and the quantity of leachable chromium in ultrasound assisted chrome tanned leather was also decreased significantly. The noteworthy enhancing effects have been attributed largely because of the increased penetration of tanning agents into pickled leather. Photomicrographic analysis of the cross-section of the tanned leather also showed a higher penetration of tanning agents in presence of ultrasound.

Boosted hydrophobic properties of leather surfaces by atmospheric pressure plasma brush reactor

In this article, we demonstrate the application of an atmospheric pressure plasma brush (APPB) reactor for improving the hydrophobic properties of leather surfaces treated with organo-silane precursors for the first time. A comprehensive investigation was conducted to analyze the influence of various process parameters, including plasma access current, treatment duration, nozzle height, and gas flow rate, on the observed outcomes effects. The dispersion of active particles in the APPB was scrutinized using an Optical Emission Spectrometer (OES), while the underlying reaction mechanism was elucidated through the integration of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), cross-sectional Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analysis. The findings unveiled that the resultant polysiloxane polymers bestowed a remarkable degree of hydrophobicity upon the leather, persisting steadfastly even following a 90-day aging period (WCA >140°). This APPB treatment combined with organosilane strategy may open a new design avenue for the development of surface treatments for intricate and temperature-sensitive substrates materials.

Effect of Pigment-Acrylic Binder Ratio on the Surface and Physical Properties of Resin Finished Leather

The current study attempts to investigate the surface phenomenon and physical characteristics of leather finished with brown pigment and different types of acrylic binders. Using the contact angle measurements of three different liquids on the above finished leathers and films, the surface energy and work of adhesion were evaluated. The pigment to acrylic binder ratio (PABR) for best adhesion of finish film on the leather surface was optimized using the contact angle goniometer. Different types of acrylic binder films were coated and their surface behaviour was studied. The crust leather was coated with different types of pigment-acrylic binder (Very Soft, Soft and Medium Soft) finish formulations. The contact angle of both the acrylic films and the PABR finished leathers were measured against Water, Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and Hexadecane (HD). According to the study’s results, the surface properties of finished leather were directly related to the degree of wetting. The PABR was found to be effective at 1:3 for very soft binder, 1:2.5 for soft, 1:2 for medium soft binders due to higher contact angle and lower surface energy values (γsv). At 1:3 and 1:2.5, the contact angle of very soft and soft binder leather was 82.62° and 83.45° and for medium soft binder it was 82.67° at 1:2 ratio. The surface energy values of optimized PABR of very soft binder (1:3) was 28.29 (mN/M), soft binder (1:2.5) was 27.50 (mN/m) and medium soft binder (1:2) was 29.27 (mN/m). The optimized PABR work of adhesion values of very soft binder, soft binder and medium soft binder was 82.15 (mJm-2), 81.11 (mJm-2), 82.09 (mJm-2). In order to correlate the observed surface properties with leather finish properties, finished leathers were tested for finish adhesion, vamp flexing value, water vapour permeability, wet and dry rub fastness. According to the water vapour permeability, soft and medium binder showed good permeation due to the uncovering of nanopores. But the adhesion, grain crack resistance and grain smoothness were higher in the case of the soft binder. Overall leather properties divulges that the pigment to binder ratio and the type of binder plays an important role in surface properties of the finished leather. This study enables us to determine the optimal PABR for effective finish properties to meet the required leather standards for various usage, as well as better utilisation of finishing chemicals.

Sustainable leather tanning with Pontederia crassipes tannin: A promising eco-friendly alternative

Considering the considerable environmental impact resulting from basic chromium sulfate, the exploration of vegetable tanning materials as an eco-friendly alternative has gained substantial interest. This study endeavors to extract tannins from Pontederia crassipes using various solvents (water, acetone, methanol, and ethanol) and evaluate their potential as a vegetable tanning agent for leather processing. Among the solvents, methanol exhibited the highest extraction efficiency at 26.34%. UV–Vis spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, and titrimetric analysis confirmed the presence of total tannins at 152.25 mg/g, which encompassed polyphenolic compounds such as epicatechin, catechin hydrate, and catechol. The antimicrobial behavior of the extracted tannin was confirmed by antimicrobial analysis. Notably, leather tanned with Pontederia crassipes tannin displayed an impressive shrinkage temperature of 83.31 °C, tensile strength 286.33 kg/cm2, and elongation 63.33%. This innovative tanning approach also yielded enhanced properties such as tensile strength, Bauman tear strength, stitch tear strength, tongue tear strength, and percentage of elongation, surpassing those of traditional vegetable-tanned leather. A closer look at the surface of the tanned leathers using Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed compact fiber structures and uniform surface. Moreover, the Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis revealed clear functional groups within the Pontederia crassipes tanned leather, as evidenced by the broad peak observed. These results collectively imply that Pontederia crassipes tannin presents promise as an eco-friendly substitute for basic chromium sulfate and a novel reservoir of vegetable tannins for the leather sector.

Physico-chemical surface modification of the natural leather using gliding arc discharge: An in-depth analysis of improving surface and mechanical properties

Leather, a widely used material in various industries, presents challenges in terms of dye uptake, hydrophilicity, and environmental concerns associated with chemical wet processing. In this context, non-thermal plasma technology offers a promising alternative for leather surface modification. In this study, the gliding arc, with air and water vapor plasmas, was used for the surface modification of natural leather for the first time. The influence of the treatment time and also the plasma gas chemistry on the surface chemical bonding, surface morphology, wettability, water absorption time and absorption capacity, color, and mechanical properties of the leather were investigated. The results showed that in the water vapor gliding arc discharge, the produced active oxygen and hydroxyl species can effectively react with the functional groups and break the relatively weak hydrocarbon CH bonds in the chemical composition of the natural leather. SEM images showed increased pore depth and diameter on the leather surface after air and water vapor plasma treatment with mean diameters of 76 μm and 92 μm, respectively. The tensile stress-strain curves illustrated that despite small cracks were created on the plasma treated samples, the elongation at break (ultimate strain) increased from 83.7 % to 88.5 % and 91.8 % for the samples treated with the air and the water vapor plasmas for 5 min, respectively. The water contact angle decreased from 96° to 55° and 48° after only 5-second treatment with the air and the water vapor plasmas, respectively. The same trend was also observed for the water absorption time and the absorption capacity of the treated samples. Also, the color analysis showed that the color change in the plasma treated samples was not detected by the unaided eye. It was also found that water vapor plasma has a better influence on the physico-chemical properties of the leather.

Bactericidal and Fungicidal Action of Copper Nanoparticles on Leather Surface

Although tanning makes the collagen matrix resilient against microbial attack, the chemicals used in the finishing process are susceptible to microbes. Hence, it is imperative to develop a finishing process with inherent antimicrobial properties. Leathers with antimicrobial properties evoke a considerable array of interest in consumers. The present study aims to enhance the antimicrobial properties of the leather using copper nanoparticles in the finishing and retanning process. Copper nanoparticles have been synthesized by chemical reduction using copper sulphate pentahydrate as the precursor with dialdehyde starch and gallic acid. The prepared nanoparticles have been characterized using UV-Visible spectrometry, dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction techniques. The prepared nanoparticles have been used in both retanning and finishing processes. The experimental leather retanned using copper nanoparticles possess good mechanical strength properties and color index value compare to the control. Nanoparticles are effective against both gram negative and positive bacterial organisms. The nanoparticles also inhibit the growth of common fungus, which can colonize on leather. Thus, the current study paves the way for a novel solution that is an alternative to biocides and antimicrobial chemicals and is more effective in inhibiting microbial growth.

Experimental and Computational Fluid Dynamics Investigation on Tanning Process in a Rotating Drum

Mass transfer of chemicals greatly affects leather production efficiency and product quality. Leather shows different motions in a rotating drum during processing, which is strongly associated with chemicals’ mass transfer. However, how leather motions affect mass transfer remains unclear, which disfavors highly efficient leather manufacturing process. Here, different leather motion states were obtained by adjusting the drum rotation speed. Experimental results showed that the duration of leather rolling motion greatly increased by 41% when the rotation speed increased from 5 r/min to 20 r/min, and the uptake of the tanning agent was consequently improved, which indicated that the rolling motion is beneficial to mass transfer. Computational fluid dynamics simulation results showed that the mass transfer rate under rolling motion was higher than those under slipping, elevating and hanging motions, because the flow velocity and concentration gradient near the leather surface were higher under rolling motion. Accordingly, increasing the rolling motion enhanced the mass transfer in leather processing. This work identifies the leather motion beneficial for mass transfer and provides guidance on operating condition optimization and drum design for high-efficiency leather production.

Comparative study on deep-learning-based leather surface defect identification

Detecting leather surface defects has become an important subject in industrial inspections and attracted significant attention as a challenging task. Traditional image processing techniques struggle with the detection of leather surface defects with a variety of shapes, sizes, backgrounds, and noise. Deep learning is a promising solution to this problem. This work focuses on the comparative study of 26 classical deep learning models in the field of leather surface defect type recognition. That aims to lay a foundation for the design and development of new schemes for leather defect inspection. Based on tanned leather from an enterprise, eight types of leather surface defects (cavities, pinholes, scratches, rotten surfaces, growth lines, healing wounds, folds, and bacterial wounds) were collected using an ultra-high definition whole leather imaging device. Two challenging datasets with various shapes, sizes, and colours were constructed. Extensive experimental evaluations were conducted. The deep learning model can achieve more than 95% accuracy when the defect imaging is ideal and limited. In case that the shapes, sizes, and colour of the above eight defects keep diverse, Densenet169 performed the best with a recognition accuracy of 72.5%, and ShuffleNet model with the worst performance reached 64.3%. Systematic in-depth experimental evaluation shows that deep learning models are promising in the field of leather surface defect detection, however, challenges remain.

Antiviral leather: A functional coating based on SiO2-AgNPs to eliminate pathogens

A bovine leather material functionalized with SiO2-Ag nanoparticles (NPs) composite, which possesses highly efficient antimicrobial activity against the SARS-CoV-2 virus and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) bacteria, has been developed. The characterization of this material was conducted using scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The immobilization of SiO2-AgNPs within the collagen fibers of the leather resulted in surface modification, leading to an increase in material roughness (from 8.93 nm ± 1.55–12.36 nm ± 1.76 nm) and the contact angle (from 76° to 81°) of the SiO2-AgNPs coated leather. This functionalized leather exhibited an impressive efficacy of 99.93% against SARS-CoV-2% and 99.99% against S. aureus, attributed to the oxidizing properties of the Ag NPs and the enhanced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). These results highlight that the immobilization of SiO2-AgNPs on the surface of bovine leather is an simple, effective and low-cost strategy for obtaining new surfaces with high antimicrobial activity.

MLR-Net: A multi-layer residual convolutional neural network for leather defect segmentation

It is critical to recognize anomalous features in wet-blue leather samples as part of industrial quality control in the leather industry. In industrial settings, manual inspection of leather samples is the present practice. Visual inspection-based leather processing is required to meet current industry requirements that encourage large-scale automation. Visual assessment of uneven surfaces is a difficult subject since irregularities can assume many different shapes and colors. The objective of this research is to develop an automated system that can detect the defects of leather images based on visual surface analysis. A deep learning-based strategy is developed to accomplish this goal, which trains the system to identify uneven and regular leather surfaces and classify leather images based on those surfaces. To address the task of defect segmentation in leather images, we introduce MLR-Net, a multi-layer residual convolutional neural network. Our proposed MLR-Net demonstrates promising performance in this task, achieving competitive results on our curated leather images dataset. The evaluation of MLR-Net reveals average sensitivity of 87.50%, specificity of 99.78%, an accuracy of 95.98%, F1-score of 85.90%, and Intersection over Union (IoU) of 78.98% respectively. These metrics indicate the effectiveness of MLR-Net in accurately identifying and segmenting defects in leather images.

Impact of Flax Seed Protein and Beeswax Emulsion Blend on Leather Finishing– A Novel Eco-Benign Formulation

Protein based finishing on leather surface is generally done using casein-based formulation which forms a transparent and breathable film. Other naturally available options such as protein extracted from flax seeds exhibit versatile application in various fields. Thus in this work, the flax seed protein which is found to be 84%, along with bees wax emulsion is explored for the first time as an Eco benign binder and as an alternative for casein based finish. The binders play very important role in leather finishing as it helps in binding the various constituents of finishing such as pigments, wax, and additives to the leather matrix. The prepared Eco benign binder formed a continuous film on the surface of the leather and improved the of physical properties and crack resistance of the leather. The FTIR and particle size analysis were carried out for the characterization of the Eco benign binder. The experimental leathers were tested for tensile strength, elongation at break, lastometer test, colour fastness and cold crack tests. The results of the said tests were satisfied and on par with control leathers.

Vision Transformers for Anomaly Detection and Localisation in Leather Surface Defect Classification Based on Low-Resolution Images and a Small Dataset

Genuine leather manufacturing is a multibillion-dollar industry that processes animal hides from varying types of animals such as sheep, alligator, goat, ostrich, crocodile, and cow. Due to the industry’s immense scale, there may be numerous unavoidable causes of damages, leading to surface defects that occur during both the manufacturing process and the bovine’s own lifespan. Owing to the heterogenous and manifold nature of leather surface characteristics, great difficulties can arise during the visual inspection of raw materials by human inspectors. To mitigate the industry’s challenges in the quality control process, this paper proposes the application of a modern vision transformer (ViT) architecture for the purposes of low-resolution image-based anomaly detection for defect localisation as a means of leather surface defect classification. Utilising the low-resolution defective and non-defective images found in the opensource Leather Defect detection and Classification dataset and higher-resolution MVTec AD anomaly benchmarking dataset, three configurations of the vision transformer and three deep learning (DL) knowledge transfer methods are compared in terms of performance metrics as well as in leather defect classification and anomaly localisation. Experiments show the proposed ViT method outperforms the light-weight state-of-the-art methods in the field in the aspect of classification accuracy. Besides the classification, the low computation load and low requirements for image resolution and size of training samples are also advantages of the proposed method.

Visible light-driven highly efficient self-cleaning coatings crafted on leather surface using double perovskite as the booster

The frequent accumulation of stains and inconvenient handling methods make crafting self-cleaning leather a necessity, especially for light colored ones. This study presents a sequential layer-by-layer (LBL) spraying technique to fabricate PU/SiO2/(Cs2AgBiBr6/TiO2)n coating with an efficient visible light-driven self-cleaning function on leather surface. TiO2 and Cs2AgBiBr6 were sprayed layer by layer to form [TiO2/Cs2AgBiBr6] heterojunction, thus boosting the self-cleaning ability. Nano SiO2 barrier layer was designed to inhibit the overabundant photocatalytic effect from [TiO2/Cs2AgBiBr6] units on PU or leather substrate. The electrostatic interaction between layers was involved to ensure the overall performance of coatings. Additionally, the designed PU/SiO2/(Cs2AgBiBr6/TiO2)5 coatings exhibited good photocatalytic self-cleaning performance for RhB within 1 h’s visible light irradiation. Meanwhile, the coated leather demonstrated excellent durability, physical mechnical properties and water vapor permeability. This work provides new possibilities for the industrial design and development of functional coatings.

Antioxidation Effect of Graphene Oxide on Silver Nanoparticles and Its Use in Antibacterial Applications.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have drawn great attention due to their outstanding antibacterial effect in a wide range of applications, such as biomass packaging materials, wound dressings, flexible sensors, etc. However, the oxidation of AgNPs limits the antibacterial effect. Firstly, the effects of pretreatment methods on the antibacterial property of AgNPs were investigated by the shake flask method and agar diffusion plate method. Secondly, graphene oxide/silver nanoparticle (GO/AgNPs) nanocomposite prepared by an in-situ growth method was used as antibacterial filler for polyacrylate emulsion via a blending method. The antibacterial mechanism of GO/AgNPs was revealed by comparing the actual contents of oxygen with the theoretically calculated contents of oxygen. Finally, the polyacrylate/graphene oxide/silver nanoparticles (PA/GO/AgNPs) composite emulsion was applied onto a leather surface using a layer-by-layer spraying method to improve the leather's antibacterial properties. The results showed that ultraviolet irradiation could better maintain the antibacterial property of AgNPs, while GO could improve the dispersibility of AgNPs and prevent their oxidation. The leather finished with the PA/GO/AgNPs-2 wt% composite emulsion showed the highest bacteriostatic rate of 74%, demonstrating its great potential in the application of antibacterial leather products.

Antimicrobial Performance of Sole Leather Loaded with Zinc Oxide Nanoparticle

ABSTRACT Natural leather still represents great importance among the materials used by humans in modern times, although it is the oldest-known fiber used by humans. Adding new features to the leather, such as bacteria and fungi resistance, electrical conductivity and magnetic properties, is an ambitious goal for leather developers. In our study, production and characterization of anti-microbial sole leather coated with zinc oxide nanoparticles were achieved. For this purpose, the ZnONPs have been prepared through green synthesis and the prepared nanomaterial loaded on the sole leather by a padding mangle. The surface morphology of the nano coated sole leather was studied using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Antimicrobial performance of the treated leather to some microorganisms was evaluated by applying the qualitative agar disc diffusion method. The SEM image of the treated leather samples showed successive leather coating, and the nanoparticles completely adhere to the leather surface. The nano-treated leather samples showed significant resistance to the tested bacteria and fungi. Results are promising for the utilization of zinc oxide nanoparticles as additives for sole leather coating. Accordingly, the study succeeded in producing a natural microorganism-resistant sole leather, which can be used in the production of healthy and microorganisms-resistant shoes.

Bio-Based Waterborne Poly(Vanillin–Butyl Acrylate)/MXene Coatings for Leather with Desired Warmth Retention and Antibacterial Properties

This study presents a solvent-free, facile synthesis of a bio-based green antibacterial agent and aromatic monomer methacrylated vanillin (MV) using vanillin. The resulting MV not only imparted antibacterial properties to coatings layered on leather, but could also be employed as a green alternative to petroleum-based carcinogen styrene (St). Herein, MV was copolymerized with butyl acrylate (BA) to obtain waterborne bio-based P(MV–BA) miniemulsion via miniemulsion polymerization. Subsequently, MXene nanosheets with excellent photothermal conversion performance and antibacterial properties, were introduced into the P(MV–BA) miniemulsion by ultrasonic dispersion. During the gradual solidification of P(MV–BA)/MXene nanocomposite miniemulsion on the leather surface, MXene gradually migrated to the surface of leather coatings due to the cavitation effect of ultrasonication and amphiphilicity of MXene, which prompted its full exposure to light and bacteria, exerting the maximum photothermal conversion efficiency and significant antibacterial efficacy. In particular, when the dosage of MXene nanosheets was 1.4 wt%, the surface temperature of P(MV–BA)/MXene nanocomposite miniemulsion-coated leather (PML) increased by about 15 °C in an outdoor environment during winter, and the antibacterial rate against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus was nearly 100% under the simulated sunlight treatment for 30 min. Moreover, the introduction of MXene nanosheets increased the air permeability, water vapor permeability, and thermal stability of these coatings. This study provides a new insight into the preparation of novel, green, and waterborne bio-based nanocomposite coatings for leather, with desired warmth retention and antibacterial properties. It can not only realize zero-carbon heating based on sunlight in winter, reducing the use of fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions, but also improve ability to fight off invasion by harmful bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms.

Antibacterial and Antifungal Fabrication of Natural Lining Leather Using Bio-Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles from Piper Betle L. Leaf Extract.

Leather is often used to make comfortable shoes due to its soft and breathable nature. However, its innate ability to retain moisture, oxygen and nutrients renders it a suitable medium for the adsorption, growth, and survival of potentially pathogenic microorganisms. Consequently, the intimate contact between the foot skin and the leather lining surface in shoes, which are subject to prolonged periods of sweating, may result in the transmission of pathogenic microorganisms and cause discomfort for the wearer. To address such issues, we modified pig leather with silver nanoparticles (AgPBL) that were bio-synthesized from Piper betle L. leaf extract as an antimicrobial agent via the padding method. The evidence of AgPBL embedded into the leather matrix, leather surface morphology and element profile of AgPBL-modified leather samples (pLeAg) was investigated using colorimetry, SEM, EDX, AAS and FTIR analyses. The colorimetric data confirmed that the pLeAg samples changed to a more brown color with higher wet pickup and AgPBL concentration, owing to the higher quantity of AgPBL uptake onto the leather surfaces. The antibacterial and antifungal activities of the pLeAg samples were both qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated using AATCC TM90, AATCC TM30 and ISO 16187:2013 test methods, approving a good synergistic antimicrobial efficiency of the modified leather against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, a yeast Candida albicans and a mold Aspergillus niger. Additionally, the antimicrobial treatments of pig leather did not negatively impact its physico-mechanical properties, including tear strength, abrasion resistance, flex resistance, water vapour permeability and absorption, water absorption and desorption. These findings affirmed that the AgPBL-modified leather met all the requirements of upper lining according to the standard ISO 20882:2007 for making hygienic shoes.