Qualities of sheepskin

The tanning of leather is broadly defined as organic material chemically and permanently transformed to a non-putrescent, non reversible and durable material. At the end of the tanning process there are a number of chemical and physical tests undertaken. The first, simplest, and most important is the boil test. Before the leather is unloaded from the tanning vessel, a measured square is boiled in a beaker for a given number of minutes, according to the type of skin being tanned. If, at the end of the allotted time, there is no shrinkage and the square hasn’t turned into a gelatinous blob, the leather is deemed tanned. In the case of the new Hi-Temp Australian Medical Sheepskin, other substances are added to the process to heighten the boil point thus ensuring the leather being tested is superior to the standard tanning process enabling it to be washed at high temperature to achieve thermal disinfection.

Sheepskins provide comfort because their ultra-dense wool pile greatly reduces pressure, friction and moisture. Sheepskins have up to 6,000 wool fibres per sq cm in its pile, therefore sheepskin provides a natural cushion to distribute the weight of the infant or patient, in the case of medical sheepskins, and driver & passengers in the case of car seat covers. This relieves the pressure at vulnerable points on the body and the wool fibres reduce the stress and friction on the skin. Because the wool fibres absorb up to 33% of their dry weight in moisture without feeling damp, they can rapidly absorb and dissipate moisture such as perspiration and urine away from the source providing comfort.