Nowadays more and more car owners in the choice of car interior for their cars, are confused about how to choose between PU leather and PVC leather, today we will analyze from several aspects of PU and PVC in the end what is the difference.
Introduction of PU Leather:
Polyurethane leather, usually known as PU leather, is artificial leather. It is made up of thermoplastic polymer and is used in making shoes and furniture. PU leather is a blend of various artificial chemicals; that's why it is 100% vegan. It has the same texture as real leather, but mostly it is lighter, less durable, and more resistant to sunlight.
Introduction of PVC Leather:
PVC leather, or sometimes simply called Vinyl, is made out of fabric leather backing, topped with a foam layer, skin layer and then a plastic based surface coating.
PVC is a white powder with amorphous structure, small branched degree, relative density about 1.4, glass transition temperature 77~90℃, decomposition starts around 170℃, poor stability to light and heat, above 100℃ or by long time sunlight exposure, it will decompose and produce hydrogen chloride, and further auto-catalytic decomposition, causing discoloration, physical and mechanical properties also decline rapidly, in practical application must be added Stabilizer must be added to improve the stability of heat and light.
PU Leather VS PVC Leather:
●Manufacturing Process
✧PVC leather: In the manufacturing process, the plastic granules should be hot-melted and stirred into a paste, evenly coated on the T/C knitted fabric substrate according to the specified thickness, and then entered into the foaming furnace for foaming, so that it has a softness that can adapt to the production of various products and different requirements, and surface treatment is carried out at the same time as the furnace is discharged.
✧PU leather: In the manufacturing process than PVC leather is a little more complicated, because the PU backing is good tensile strength canvas PU material, in addition to the top of the backing can be coated, but also the backing can be contained in the middle, so that the outside can not see the existence of the bottom cloth.
●Physical
✧PU leather: Physical properties are better than PVC leather, flexural resistance, good flexibility, high tensile strength, breathability.
✧PVC leather: Good stability and dielectric properties, durable and anti-aging, easy to fuse and bond.
●Price
The price of PU leather is more than double that of PVC leather, and the price of some special PU leather, like microfiber leather, is 2-3 times higher than that of PVC leather. Generally, the pattern paper needed for PU leather can only be used 4-5 times, and the pattern roller has a long life cycle, so the cost of PU leather is higher than that of PVC leather.
●Scope of application
✧PVC leather: PVC leather is mostly used for lining or non-weight bearing parts, such as car seat cover and car foot mats.
✧PU leather: PU leather can be applied to the weight-bearing part of the car decoration, like car steering wheel, roofs and car seat cover.
●Temperature resistance
✧PU leather: The maximum temperature resistance can reach 90℃.
✧PVC leather: The maximum temperature resistance 65℃.
●Softness
The softness of PU leather is softer to the touch compared to PVC leather, PVC leather can add plasticizer to make it softer, plasticizer is an additive to make PVC softer, but food standards have strict requirements for plasticizer content, so soft PVC, plasticizer is actually far from meeting the environmental requirements.
●Components
✧PU leather: Polyurethane, is the collective name of a series of polyurethane materials (polyurethane), an emerging organic polymer material, known as the "fifth major plastic". The main raw materials for polyurethane synthesis are organic polyisocyanates and end-hydroxy compounds.
✧PVC leather: Polyvinyl chloride, or polyvinyl chloride, is a polymer formed by the polymerization of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) in the presence of initiators such as peroxides and azo compounds, or in the presence of light or heat in a free radical polymerization reaction mechanism. Vinyl chloride homopolymers and vinyl chloride copolymers are collectively called vinyl chloride resins (PVC resins).
●Flavor
✧PU leather: If you burn PU with fire, its smell is light.
✧PVC leather: If you burn PVC with fire, it will turn black and accompanied by a very strong odor.
Bensen's PU leather and PVC leather, with high strength and excellent stability, and non-flammable, can resist the corrosion brought by climate change, widely used in the decoration of automotive interiors. You can always choose a material you like and suitable for your car.
If you need, please feel free to contact us.
Email: bensen@carsleather.com
Whatsapp/WeChat:+86 13381860818
+86 15638197281
Post time: Oct-12-2021