[jayjacque]

Originally Posted by carados

just got back to new orleans after a 10 day trip. Lexus has been in the southern sun for 10 or so days now after i conditioned it and left. I used CG cleaner and conditioner, seats are still more subtle than before I applied it..... Now that tells me that there is a lot more going on that we can see and that our leathers are more porus than we think....

just mho

Sun softened the leather like D & D said, and that opened the pores more. I tend to agree there is something going on. How much, I'm not sure. It's funny, some people/experts say nothing at all (as far as conditioners go) can get through coated leather, but then the same people say make sure to clean with dedicated leather cleaners so you don't harm the leather. Seems to be a bit of a contradiction.

[D&D Auto Detailing]

Originally Posted by jayjacque

Sun softened the leather like D & D said, and that opened the pores more. I tend to agree there is something going on. How much, I'm not sure. It's funny, some people/experts say nothing at all (as far as conditioners go) can get through coated leather, but then the same people say make sure to clean with dedicated leather cleaners so you don't harm the leather. Seems to be a bit of a contradiction.

I think cleaning and conditioning is two different things though. Im sure some cleaners can be harmful for the top coat. Its also been said that heat cannot open the pores on the top coat.

[togwt]

I still fail to see how an oil based leather onditioner permeates the verious coatings applied to an automotive leather. On a microscopic level oil molacules are larger then water molcules so how would they even permeate the polyurathene covering (with the help of solvents? now that I might subscibe too, perhaps that's why you are experiencing evapouration in your testing)

3. Finishing:

a)Dyeing process
Depending on the desired product, the hides then go through a dyeing process, which also involves adding moisture back into the skin. Hides which have been vegetable tanned are bleached and them soaked with oils, soaps, greases and waxes to make them more pliable.

b)Rolling
Rolling leather running the skins through a machine, which works to firm the leather and make it stronger. After the rolling process has finished, leathers are stretched, where they dry out in a heat controlled room.

c)Surface coating
Once trimmed, dependent on customer requirements, the initial application of surface water-based pigment is applied by machine roller coating. The final protective coats are applied by machine spraying.

d)Finishing (application)
A water-based pigmented finish is applied to give a uniform covering of colour. A concentrated pigment would not cover leather and so it is dispersed into a base solution of acrylic polymer, which contains binders to adhere to the leather. The pigment can be applied to leather in three ways;

•Sprayed on by hand using an airgun.
•Sprayed on by a machine on a conveyor belt.
• Often a combination of a base coat and a top coat are used.

Finished Leathers are drum-dyed using transparent aniline dyes, then enhanced with clear and pigmented finishes for protection and colour uniformity. These finishes are soft and breathable yet highly durable, and help reduce spotting, staining and colour fading. After applying the pigment polyurethane is then applied to seal the colour, to provide protection and durability, the polyurethane is also used to adjust the gloss level of the leather.

Information resource - Leather tanning information