The smell of leather

One of leather's important characteristic is its smell. In contrast to synthetics the leather smell is desired and regarded as an attribute of authenticity by customers in many countries. For research works 5 different leathers from different application areas were chosen. Depending on manufacturing technology the leathers showed different nuances of leather smell. Presentation gives results from analysis of leathers by GC-O, AEVA, GC-MS and SIVA for identifying and quantifying substances accountable for certain leather smells. Furthermore, it points out from which stages of leather manufacturing the leather smell originates and if it can be influenced. Alternative methods for identification and quantification of substances relevant to smell are discussed regarding their informational value.