The article is titled Materials’ Circularity: A Novel Method for Biobased Carbon Quantification on Leather, Artificial Leather, and Trendy Alternatives and was a collaboration between Ars Tinctoria and the National Institute of Optics in Florence (CNR-INO), the European Laboratory of Non-Linear Spectroscopy (LENS), the University of Florence and ppqSense (a spinoff of CNR-INO).
The authors are Federico Carcione, Iacopo Galli, Saverio Bartalini and Davide Mazzotti, while Ars Tinctoria CEO Gustavo Adrián Defeo coordinated and supported the project.
The paper focuses on the radiocarbon analysis of leather and alternative materials and was inspired by one written by Meyer, M.; Dietrich, S; Schulz, H.; Mondschein: A comparison of the technical performance of leather, artificial leather, and trendy alternatives, published in the same journal.
In a statement, Ars Tinctoria said: “This research on radiocarbon analysis was initiated by Ars Tinctoria during 2018 while they were studying the latest European regulatory trends on circularity and sustainability in a Green Deal policy context. The concept of bioeconomy proposed by Europe justifies the need to evolve all sectors of materials towards a new analytical point of view.
“Unfortunately, the widespread practice of greenwashing under false sustainability credentials was worsening the environmental impact of the materials industries in general, inducing tanneries to more polluting processes and new startups to promote alternatives to leather without considering the real environmental consequences on the end of life of such new materials.”
The paper begins by focusing on environment policies before explaining Saturated-absorption CAvity Ring-down (SCAR) spectroscopy principles and the analytical method developed by the authors for miscellaneous materials.
In conclusion, the paper reveals the results obtained of the biobased carbon content of the materials covered in the article by Meyer et al. as well as other leather samples ranging from heavily coated to nubuck, splits and salmon skins with miscellaneous tanning methods (metal free, chrome and pure vegetable).
Pictured, from left to right: Dr Alessio Montori (CNR-INO / PPQ Sense), Dr Federico Carcione (Univ. Florence), Dr Amelia Detti (PPQ-Sense), Professor Saverio Bartalini (CNR-INO / PPQ Sense) and Gustavo Defeo FSLTC.
