| EPSRC Reference: |
GR/M77444/01 |
| Title: |
THE INFLUENCE OF PRE-STRAINING ON THE STIFFNESS AND FIBRE STRUCTURE OF LEATHER |
| Principal Investigator: |
Meek, Professor KM |
| Other Investigators: |
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| Department: |
Optometry and Vision Sciences |
| Organisation: |
Cardiff University |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research (Pre-FEC) |
| Starts: |
18 October 1999 |
Ends: |
17 April 2002 |
Value (£): |
78,989
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| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
| Materials Characterisation |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
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The raw materials for leather manufacture, hides and skins, are purchased by weight but the resulting leather is sold by area. There is thus a strong commercial interest in maximising the area yield resulting from production and so a number of mechanical operations are employed (eg setting, toggling) to stretch leather during processing. It has been established that maximum retention of applied strain (set) can be achieved by drying wet leather whilst it is held under the strain. There is a concern , however, that inducing high levels of set may cause an undesirable stiffening effect.There have been no published scientific studies concerned with the effects of pre-stretching leather on its stiffness. This proposed project will seek to establish how the amount and type (uni-axial, bi-axial) of strain applied to part processed leather influences its stiffness and fibre orientation.Stretching and drying under controlled conditions will be carried out at University College Northampton where stiffness measurements will also be made. Fibre orientation will be assessed at the University of Wales (Cardiff) using data collected at the Synchrotron Radiation Source (Daresbury). Micostructural models will be used in order to establish casual structure-property relationships.
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
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| Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.cf.ac.uk |