Published

Leather vs. Virus: Italian Tanner Creates New Material Treatment

Italian tanning company develops antiviral treatment for leather
#interior

Share

Gruppo Mastrotto, a large supplier of cowhide products for a variety of industries including automotive, has announced the development of a propriety technology that it said eliminates 99.9% of the viruses and bacteria that might be found on leather.

(Large? More than 2,400 employees; 18 factories; >435 million € turnover.)

Gruppo Mastrotto leather

Gruppo Mastrotto said it has developed a treatment for leather that provides antibacterial and antiviral properties. (Image: Gruppo Mastrotto)

In addition to which, it acts as a surface barrier that “prevents the replication of pathogens that may come into contact with the leather.”

Meaning that it maintains its capability after several uses, though the company didn’t say how long the surface barrier lasts.

Chiara Mastrotto, president of Gruppo Mastrotto, said, “This fundamental innovation, designed and developed entirely within the company, represents for us the culmination of significant efforts and investments made in the Research and Development field.”

Presumably the people who work in the company’s labs have been previously been working on colors and surface treatments more than on health-related concerns.

Post-COVID

Although antiviral leather has an immediate application due to COVID-19, it is worth noting that one of the considerations that interior designers have had over the past few years is designing interiors for shared vehicles that are not only easy to clean of dirt and debris, but that would have the antiviral and antibacterial properties that Gruppo Mastrotto said it has developed to treat leather.

This treatment will undoubtedly have applicability from this point going forward for both shared vehicles as well as those individually owned.

RELATED CONTENT

  • 2019 Chevrolet Blazer Premier AWD

    The 2019 Chevy Blazer is the most-complete Chevy I’ve ever driven, as in seemingly every detail of the crossover having been carefully considered and appropriately executed, from the front end that has a design the likes of which is absolutely rare in a category of vehicles that is getting more undifferentiated by the moment to even consideration given to the piping on the IP.  

  • 2019 Honda Insight

    One of the things that rarely gets the amount of attention that it should in a typical “car review” is the fact that for a considerable amount of time drivers are not “getting on the throttle” because for a considerable number of drivers, they’re “dwelling on the binders,” a.k.a., sitting with their foot depressed on the brakes, perhaps lifting every now and then in order to nudge forward in traffic.

  • Engineering the 2019 Jeep Cherokee

    The Jeep Cherokee, which was launched in its current manifestation as a model year 2014 vehicle, and which has just undergone a major refresh for MY 2019, is nothing if not a solid success.

Gardner Business Media - Strategic Business Solutions