Ep 3205754 A1

(19) TZZ¥ Z_T (11) EP 3 205 754 A1 (12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION (43) Date of publication: (51) Int Cl.: 16.08.2017 Bulletin 2017/33 D01F 4/00 (2006.01) D06C 29/00 (2006.01) D06M 10/00 (2006.01) D01D 5/00 (2006.01) (2006.01) (21) Application number: 17156318.2 C08H 1/06 (22) Date of filing: 15.02.2017 (84) Designated Contracting States: (72) Inventors: AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB • Marga, Francoise Suzanne GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO Brooklyn, NY New York 11220 (US) PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR • Jakab, Karoly Robert Designated Extension States: Brooklyn, NY New York 11220 (US) BA ME • Purcell, Brendan Designated Validation States: Brooklyn, NY New York 11220 (US) MA MD • Williamson, David Brooklyn, NY New York 11220 (US) (30) Priority: 15.02.2016 US 201662295438 P 15.02.2016 US 201662295444 P (74) Representative: J A Kemp 14 South Square (71) Applicant: Modern Meadow, Inc. Gray’s Inn Brooklyn, NY 11200 (US) London WC1R 5JJ (GB) (54) METHOD FOR MAKING ELECTROCOMPACTED LEATHER (57) Biofabricated leathers made by electrocompac- These electrocompacted leathers may have leather-like tion. Described herein are biofabricated leather materials properties and may be processed as native leather and derived from electrocompacted collagen networks. used to form leather goods. EP 3 205 754 A1 Printed by Jouve, 75001 PARIS (FR) 1 EP 3 205 754 A1 2 Description taraldehyde or oxazolidine compounds), syntans (synthetic tannins, using aromatic polymers), and the like. CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0006] Natural leather is typically prepared in three main parts: preparatory stages, tanning, and crusting. [0001] This patent application claims priority to U.S. 5 Surface coating may also be included. The preparatory provisional patent application no. 62/295,438, titled stages prepare the hide/skin for tanning, and unwanted "ELECTROSPUN LEATHER AND METHODS OF FAB- raw skin components are removed. The preparatory RICATION OF ELECTROSPUN LEATHER," filed on stages may include: preservation, soaking (rehydrating), February 15, 2016; and U.S. provisional patent applica- liming, de-hairing, de-fleshing (removing subcutaneous tion no. 62/295,444, titled "ELECTROCOMPACTED10 material), splitting, re-liming, deliming (to remove de- LEATHER AND METHODS OF FABRICATION OF hairing and liming chemicals), bating (protein proteoly- ELECTROCOMPACTED LEATHER," filed on February sis), degreasing, frizzing, bleaching, pickling (changing 15, 2016. Each of these is herein incorporated by refer- pH), de-pickling, etc. ence in its entirety. [0007] Tanning is performed to convert proteins in the 15 hide/skin into a stable material that will not putrefy, while INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE allowing the material to remain flexible. Chromium is the most commonly used tanning material. The pH of the [0002] All publications and patent applications men- skin/hide may be adjusted (e.g., lowered, e.g. to pH tioned in this specification are herein incorporated by ref- 2.8-3.2) to enhance the tanning; following tanning the pH erence in their entirety to the same extent as if each in- 20 may be raised ("basification" to a slightly higher level, dividual publication or patent application was specifically e.g., pH 3.8-4.2). and individually indicated to be incorporated by refer- [0008] Crusting refers to the post-tanning treatment ence. that may include coloring (dying), thinning, drying or hy- drating, and the like. Examples of crusting techniques FIELD 25 include: wetting (rehydrating), sammying (drying), splitting (into thinner layers), shaving, neutralization (adjust- [0003] This invention relates to engineered/biofabri- ing pH to more neutral level), retanning, dyeing, fatliq- cated leather materials that mimic naturally-derived ma- uoring, filling, stuffing, stripping, whitening, fixation of un- terials. In particular, this invention is directed towards bi- bound chemicals, setting, conditioning, softening, buff- ofabricated leather materials formed by an electrocom- 30 ing, etc. paction or electrospinning method. [0009] In practice, the process of converting animal skin into leather may include sequential steps such as: BACKGROUND unhairing/dehairing, liming, deliming and bating, pickling, tanning, neutralizing/Dyeing and Fat liquoring, drying [0004] Leather is used in a vast variety of applications, 35 and finishing. The dehairing process may chemically re- including furniture upholstery, clothing, shoes, luggage, move the hair (e.g., using an alkali solution), while the handbag and accessories, and automotive applications. liming step (e.g., using an alkali and sulfide solution) may Currently, skins of animals are used as raw materials for further complete the hair removal process and swell natural leather. However, skins from livestock pose en- ("open up") the collagen. During tanning, the skin struc- vironmental concerns because raising livestock requires 40 ture may be stabilized in the "open" form by replacing enormous amounts of feed, pastureland, water, and fos- some of the collagen with complex ions of chromium. sil fuel. Livestock also produces significant pollution for Depending on the compounds used, the color and texture the air and waterways. In addition, use of animal skins of the leather may change. Tanned leather may be much to produce leather is objectionable to socially conscious more flexible than an untreated hide, and also more du- individuals. The global leather industry slaughters more 45 rable. than a billion animals per year. Most of the leather comes [0010] In practice, the process of converting animal from countries with no animal welfare laws or have laws skin into leather may include sequential steps such as: that go largely or completely unenforced. Leather pro- unhairing/dehairing, liming, deliming and bating, pickling, duced without killing animals would have tremendous tanning, neutralizing/Dyeing and Fat liquoring, drying fashion novelty and appeal. 50 and finishing. The dehairing process may chemically re- [0005] Natural leather is typically a durable and flexible move the hair (e.g., using an alkali solution), while the material created by the tanning of animal rawhide and liming step (e.g., using an alkali and sulfide solution) may skin, often cattle hide. Tanning is generally understood further complete the hair removal process and swell to be the process of treating the skins of animals to pro- ("open up") the collagen. During tanning, the skin struc- duce leather. Tanning may be performed in any number 55 ture may be stabilized in the "open" form by replacing of well-understood ways, including vegetable tanning some of the collagen with complex ions of chromium. (e.g., using tannin), chrome tanning (chromium salts in- Depending on the compounds used, the color and texture cluding chromium sulfate), aldehyde tanning (using glu- of the leather may change. Tanned leather may be much 2 3 EP 3 205 754 A1 4 more flexible than an untreated hide, and also more du- lagen fibrils, fibers, and fiber bundles, its complex as- rable. sembly is achieved in vivo during development and is [0011] Skin, or animal hide, is formed primarily of col- critical in providing mechanical support to the tissue while lagen, a fibrous protein. Collagen is a generic term for a allow for cellular motility and nutrient transport. family of at least 28 distinct collagen types; animal skin 5 [0014] In animal hide, slight variations in fibrous colla- is typically type 1 collagen (so the term collagen is typi- gen organization are observed with the age and species cally assumed to be type 1 collagen), although other of the animal resulting in differences in the physical prop- types of collagen may be used in forming leather. Colla- erties of the tissue (and differences in the resulting leath- gens are characterized by a repeating triplet of amino er). Variations in collagen organization are also observed 10 acids, -(Gly-X-Y) n-, so that approximately one-third of the through the thickness of the hide. The top grain side of amino acid residues are in collagen are glycine. X is often hide is composed of a fine network of collagen fibrils while proline and Y is often hydroxyproline. Thus, the structure deeper sections (corium) are composed of larger fiber of collagen may consist of twined triple units of peptide bundles (FIG. 2). The smaller fibril organization of the chains of differing lengths. Different animals may pro- grain layer gives rise to a soft and smooth leather aes- duce different amino acid compositions of the collagen, 15 thetic while the larger fiber bundle organization of deeper which may result in different properties (and differences regions givesrise to a rough andcourse leather aesthetic. in the resulting leather). Collagen fiber monomers may The porous, fibrous organization of collagen allows mol- be produced from alpha-chains of about 1050 amino ac- ecules to more easily penetrate, stabilize, and lubricate ids long, so that the triple helix takes the form of a rod of the hide during leather tanning. The combination of the about 300 nm long, with a diameter of 1.5 nm. In the20 innate collagen organization in hide along with the mod- production of extracellular matrix by fibroblast skin cells, ifications achieved through tanning give rise to the desir- triple helix monomers may be synthesized and the mon- able strength, drape and aesthetic properties of leather. omers may self-assemble into a fibrous form. These triple [0015] Manyattempts havebeen madethroughout his- helices may be held together by salt links, hydrogen tory to imitate leather with a variety of synthetic materials. bonding, hydrophobic bonding, and covalent bonding. 25 As mentioned to earlier, there is a strong demand for Triple helices can be bound together in bundles called alternatives to leather as leather production involves the fibrils, and fibril bundles come together to create fibers slaughter of animals, which carries with it a large envi- (FIG.

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