Choi Soon Mo, Lee Do Hyun, Zo Sun Mi, Sood Ankur, Han Sung Soo
Research Institute of Cell Culture, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 38541, Republic of Korea.
Korea Dyeing & Finishing Technology Institute (DYETEC), 92 Dalseocheon-ro, Seogu, Daegu 41706, Republic of Korea.
Gels. 2025 May 27;11(6):395. doi: 10.3390/gels11060395.
Recently, increased global awareness of environmental sustainability and ethical consumerism has amplified the demand for sustainable alternatives to animal-derived leather. Traditional leather manufacturing faces significant ethical and ecological challenges, including greenhouse gas emissions, excessive water consumption, deforestation, and toxic chemical usage. Vegan leather has emerged as a promising solution, predominantly fabricated from petroleum-based synthetic materials such as polyurethane (PU) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). However, these materials have sustainability limitations due to their non-biodegradability and associated environmental burdens. To overcome these issues, this review critically explores the feasibility of developing vegan leather using gel-based materials derived from natural and synthetic polymers. These materials offer precise structural controllability, excellent biodegradability, and the potential for significantly improved mechanical performance through hybridization and nanocomposite strategies. Despite their promising attributes, gel-based materials face significant limitations, including insufficient tensile strength, poor abrasion resistance, susceptibility to swelling, limited long-term stability, and challenges in scaling up for industrial production. This paper outlines the structural and physical properties required for viable leather substitutes, reviews opportunities provided by gel-based materials, addresses associated technical challenges, and proposes comprehensive strategies for enhancing mechanical properties and developing sustainable, eco-friendly production processes. Future research directions emphasize hybrid composite development, nanoparticle integration, circular manufacturing processes, and multi-disciplinary collaboration to establish gel-based vegan leather as a viable, sustainable, and market-competitive alternative to conventional animal leather.
最近，全球对环境可持续性和道德消费主义的认识不断提高，这增加了对动物皮革可持续替代品的需求。传统皮革制造面临重大的道德和生态挑战，包括温室气体排放、过度用水、森林砍伐和有毒化学物质的使用。纯素皮革已成为一种有前景的解决方案，主要由聚氨酯（PU）和聚氯乙烯（PVC）等石油基合成材料制成。然而，这些材料由于不可生物降解以及相关的环境负担而存在可持续性限制。为了克服这些问题，本综述批判性地探讨了使用天然和合成聚合物衍生的凝胶基材料开发纯素皮革的可行性。这些材料具有精确的结构可控性、出色的生物降解性，并且通过杂交和纳米复合策略有可能显著提高机械性能。尽管凝胶基材料具有这些有前景的特性，但它们也面临重大限制，包括拉伸强度不足、耐磨性差、易膨胀、长期稳定性有限以及扩大工业生产规模方面的挑战。本文概述了可行的皮革替代品所需的结构和物理性能，回顾了凝胶基材料提供的机会，解决了相关技术挑战，并提出了增强机械性能和开发可持续、环保生产工艺的综合策略。未来的研究方向强调混合复合材料的开发、纳米颗粒的整合、循环制造工艺以及多学科合作，以将基于凝胶的纯素皮革确立为传统动物皮革的可行、可持续且具有市场竞争力的替代品。
