Achieve lighter shades of naturally tanned leather with NTE Mimosa’s specialty vegetable extracts
Mimosa Specialty Leather Tanning Products
Controlling colour is an essential component of the vegetable leather-tanning process, and often a reason why tanneries are hesitant to experiment with natural tanning methods. The perception is that tanning leather with organic alternatives to chromium has major limitations, producing just a single shade of brown.
Thanks to years of research and development undertaken by NTE, there has never been a greater range of choices in shades, grades or finishes of leather that can be achieved through natural tanning methods.
All of NTE Mimosa’s tanning agents are based on the same basic ingredient: tannin extracted from the bark of the acacia mearnsii, commonly known as the black wattle. Untreated, this mimosa extract delivers a rich and lustrous leather with a red brown-hue, and a fullness that is ideal for sole, strap and case. When treated, however, a range of colours is possible.
Achieving lighter shades of leather
Tanneries supply the leather that the market demands, and paler shades of leather are highly sought-after, particularly in the fashion, upholstery and automotive sectors. NTE Mimosa currently produces two innovative products geared towards vegetable-tanned leather that is lighter in colour.
Mimosa Elephant GS
Mimosa Elephant GS is the lightest of all NTE Mimosa products. An off-white, de-dusted powder, GS is produced from fresh acacia mearnsii bark that is hand-selected from younger trees. Once extracted, the tannin is modified by means of a proprietary process, and the result is leather with an attractive pale beige shade.
NTE’s Mimosa Elephant GS delivers the lightest shades of natural, vegetable-tanned leather on the market today.
NTE Mimosa MS
NTE Mimosa MS is a treated extract that tans leather in a lighter shade than NTE’s market-leading Mimosa ME. While the shade of leather produced is lighter, Mimosa MS retains the same fullness and firmness that Mimosa ME provides.
Low in organic salts, Mimosa MS is ideal both for closed-pit and drum-tanning systems. When used in chrome leather retanning, the slight bleaching effect of Mimosa MS provides level dyeing together with a fuller finish, a smooth grain and excellent print retention.
Mimosa MS delivers the same qualities and grades as Mimosa ME, but with a lighter overall result.
For automotive and other applications where the leather is likely to be exposed to long periods of sunlight, the best option is Mimtan AT1, an industry first pioneered by NTE Mimosa.
Mimosa FS is a top selling product, delivering both reduced tanning times and a lustrous, light shade of leather.
MimOSA FS
Mimosa FS is a light coloured dedusted product that delivers rapid penetration of the tannin into the leather, resulting in a smooth grained hide that has outstanding light-fastness. The natural extract is specially treated for lower astringency, and delivers a desirable, lighter shade of leather consistently.
Mimosa FS is among the most commonly used products in the retannage of chromium leathers, with the lower astringency making integration into traditional processes both simple and cost effective.
Mimtan AT1 is a natural tanning innovation that delivers the light-fast leather for fashion, furniture and auto interiors.
MimTAN AT1
Mimtan AT1 is the result of years of research into the interaction between vegetable-tanned leather and sunlight. The challenge of light-fastness—the ability of leather to retain a standard shade even after years of direct sunlight—is a significant one. Without long-lasting light-fastness, naturally tanned leather is not well suited to automotive interiors or leather sofas, where sunlight is likely to hit the same area over long periods.
Mimtan AT1 is a vegetable-tanning solution specially modified to reduce the astringency to a minimum. Leather tanned with Mimtan AT1 has excellent dispersion and is well suited to enhancing the distribution and penetration of tanning and retanning agents. Mimtan AT1 also exhibits vastly improved heat resistance, so is the recommended natural tannin for automotive and upholstery leathers.
