Overview
ISO 19074:2015 - Leather - Physical and mechanical tests - Determination of water absorption by capillary action (wicking) defines a laboratory method to measure how leather absorbs water by capillary action (wicking). The method is applicable to all types of leather and yields two key outputs: the wicking height (maximum distance the water front travels) and the percentage water absorption (mass increase). The procedure is published by ISO in collaboration with IULTCS and is intended for use in quality control, research, and product specification.
Key topics and requirements
- Principle: A vertical leather strip is partially immersed in distilled/deionised water; after (120 ± 5) minutes the water front heights and mass gain are recorded.
- Sampling & preparation:
- Cut four test pieces (100 ± 2 mm × 25 ± 1 mm): two parallel and two perpendicular to the backbone (ISO 2418 / ISO 2419).
- Condition samples per ISO 2419 and measure thickness per ISO 2589.
- Mark lines at 10 ± 1 mm (line 1) and 50 ± 1 mm (line 2) from the lower edge.
- Apparatus: low‑form beaker or container, holder for vertical suspension, ruler (≤0.5 mm), balance (standard specifies accuracy and measurement to 0.05 g), 10 g metal mass (±1 g) to prevent rolling, press knives for cutting, thickness gauge, and grade‑3 water (ISO 3696).
- Procedure highlights:
- Water level: 40 ± 5 mm in the container.
- Immerse to line 1, keep specimen vertical and isolated from container walls and other specimens.
- After 120 min blot, record maximum distances on grain, flesh and lateral sides (lateral only if thickness > 1 mm).
- Calculate wicking (W) as the maximum measured distance per piece and water absorption (A) as percentage mass increase: A = (m1 − m0)/m0 × 100.
- Special cases:
- If water reaches line 2 before 120 min, W is reported as “greater than 40 mm” and A “not able to be determined”.
- If the water front cannot be visually identified, a fluorescent dye (e.g., 0.2% fluorescein) and UV inspection can be used, or W reported as “not able to be determined”.
- Reporting: include ISO 19074 reference, thickness, W and A values, atmosphere used for conditioning, any appearance changes, and deviations from the method.
Applications and users
- Leather manufacturers and tanneries for batch quality control
- Footwear, upholstery, automotive and apparel product developers assessing performance of leather finishes and treatments
- Material laboratories and testing services verifying specifications and comparative performance
- R&D teams optimizing tanning, finishing, coatings, or hydrophobic treatments
Keywords: ISO 19074, wicking, water absorption, leather testing, capillary action, leather physical tests, IULTCS, quality control.
Related standards
This concise summary helps you apply ISO 19074:2015 for practical leather testing, specification, and quality assurance.