Overview
ISO 2417:2025 - Leather - Physical and mechanical tests - Determination of the static absorption of water - specifies a standardized laboratory method to measure the water absorption of leather under static conditions. Applicable to all leather types, it is particularly aimed at heavy leather. The test quantifies how much water a leather sample absorbs when immersed for defined time intervals, providing reproducible data for quality control, material comparison and R&D.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Principle: A conditioned test piece of known mass or volume is immersed in water; the volume of water absorbed is measured using a graduated Kubelka apparatus.
- Apparatus:
- Glass Kubelka apparatus (bulb + graduated tube) with total bulb/tube volume 75 ml ± 2 ml and scale readable to 0.1 ml (±0.1 ml).
- Rubber stopper with glass rod or metal wire to position the specimen.
- Press knife (70 mm ± 1 mm diameter) for cutting test pieces.
- Balance reading to 0.001 g and distilled/de‑ionized water per ISO 3696 (grade 3).
- Specimen preparation and conditioning: Select and cut test pieces per ISO 2418, condition them according to ISO 2419. Test at controlled temperature (20 °C ±2 °C or 23 °C ±2 °C).
- Procedure: Wet apparatus, fill to initial level, immerse test piece in cylinder, close stopper, and after prescribed immersion times drain and read residual water level 60 s ± 5 s after drainage. Typical immersion intervals: 15 min, 30 min, 60 min, 120 min, 24 h (measurements usually at two periods are sufficient).
- Results expression:
- Q (ml/100 g) - water absorbed per 100 g of leather;
- P (ml/100 ml) - water absorbed per 100 ml of leather (volume fraction). Calculations use measured absorbed volume (V), test piece mass (m) or volume (V1) per ISO 2420.
- Test report: Must reference ISO 2417:2025 and include specimen ID, mean water absorption for each immersion period, conditioning atmosphere (ISO 2419), any deviations, observations and test date.
Applications and users
- Quality control laboratories in footwear, upholstery, saddlery, leather goods and automotive leather manufacturing.
- R&D teams comparing tanning or finishing processes, coatings, or treatments affecting water uptake.
- Certification and compliance testing where performance against standard criteria is required.
- Academic and materials testing labs conducting comparative studies on leather water absorption.
Related standards
- ISO 2418 - Position and preparation of specimens for testing
- ISO 2419 - Specimen and test piece conditioning
- ISO 2420 - Determination of apparent density and mass per unit area
- ISO 3696 - Water for analytical laboratory use
Keywords: ISO 2417:2025, leather testing, static absorption of water, Kubelka apparatus, water absorption of leather, leather quality control, IULTCS, IUP 7.
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