Ultrasuede is the

trade name A trade name, trading name, or business name is a pseudonym used by companies that do not operate under their registered company name. The term for this type of alternative name is fictitious business name. Registering the fictitious name with ...

for a synthetic ultra-microfiber fabric which mimics

suede Suede (pronounced ) is a type of leather with a fuzzy, napped finish, commonly used for jackets, shoes, Textile, fabrics, Handbag, purses, furniture, and other items. Suede is made from the underside of the animal skin, which is softer and m ...

leather. In Japan, it is sold under the brand name Ecsaine. The fabric is used in

fashion Fashion is a term used interchangeably to describe the creation of clothing, footwear, Fashion accessory, accessories, cosmetics, and jewellery of different cultural aesthetics and their mix and match into Clothing, outfits that depict distinct ...

interior decorating Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. With a keen eye for detail and a creative flair, an interior ...

, automobile and other vehicle

upholstery Upholstery is the work of providing furniture, especially seats, with padding, springs, webbing, and fabric or leather covers. The word also refers to the materials used to upholster something. ''Upholstery'' comes from the Middle English wor ...

, and industrial applications, such as protective fabric for electronic equipment. It is used to make footbags (also known as hacky sacks) and

juggling ball Juggling balls, or simply balls, are a popular prop used by jugglers, either on their own—usually in sets of three or more—or in combination with other props such as clubs or rings. A juggling ball refers to any juggling object tha ...

s. Other manufacturers such as Sensuede and Majilite also produce similar product lines of synthetic microfiber suede.

Composition

Fabric content ranges from 80%

polyester Polyester is a category of polymers that contain one or two ester linkages in every repeat unit of their main chain. As a specific material, it most commonly refers to a type called polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Polyesters include some natura ...

non-woven (100% recycled ultra-

microfiber Microfiber (microfibre in British English) is synthetic fibre finer than one Denier (unit), denier or decitex/thread, having a diameter of less than ten micrometre, micrometers. The most common types of microfiber are made variously of polye ...

) and 20% non-fibrous

polyurethane Polyurethane (; often abbreviated PUR and PU) is a class of polymers composed of organic chemistry, organic units joined by carbamate (urethane) links. In contrast to other common polymers such as polyethylene and polystyrene, polyurethane term ...

to 65% polyester and 35% polyurethane, depending on the product line. Ultrasuede feels like natural

, but it is resistant to stains and discoloration; it can be washed in a washing machine. It has a

woven Woven fabric is any textile formed by weaving. Woven fabrics, often created on a loom, are made of many threads woven in a warp and weft. Technically, a woven fabric is any fabric made by interlacing two or more threads at right angles to one anot ...

fabric surface, but resists

pilling Pilling is a village and civil parish within the Borough of Wyre, Wyre borough of Lancashire, England. It is north-northeast of Poulton-le-Fylde, south-southwest of Lancaster, Lancashire, Lancaster and northwest of Preston, Lancashire, P ...

or fraying because it is combined with a polyurethane foam in a non-woven structure. As with its Italian sister fabric,

Alcantara Alcantara, Alcântara ( Portuguese), Alcántara (Spanish), Alcàntara, Alcàntera, El-Qantarah and (El) Kantara are all transliterations of the Arabic word ''al-qantara'' (القنطرة), meaning "the bridge". Alcantara may refer to: People * ...

, automotive grade Ultrasuede meets OEM specifications and FMVSS302 flammability requirements for automotive use, as well as it being virtually identical on both sides, making it somewhat reversible.

Uses

Ultrasuede has applications in fashion, including shoes; interior furnishing; industrial uses; and (in a flame retardant version) watercraft, automobile and aircraft seating, dash trimming, headliners and other interior panels.

References

External links

* {{leather Automotive technologies Artificial leather