MUMBAI, India, April 17 -- Intellectual Property India has published a patent application (202641018762 A) filed by Kcg College Of Technology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, on Feb. 19, for 'nutura-leather: transforming peanut shells into eco-friendly leather.'
Inventor(s) include Dr. Bharani Murugesan; Dr. G Mohamed Zakriya; Dr. Sajid Ahmed Qureshi Dn; Rajeswari. R; Girija. V; and Lakshmi Sagar. T.
The application for the patent was published on April 17, under issue no. 16/2026.
According to the abstract released by the Intellectual Property India: "The growing demand for sustainable, cruelty-free, and biodegradable alternatives to conventional leather has driven research into bio-based materials. Traditional leather production raises serious environmental and ethical concerns due to toxic tanning chemicals, high water consumption, and animal dependence, while synthetic leathers made from PVC and PU contribute to plastic pollution and microplastic release. This project presents an eco-friendly leather-like material developed by valorizing peanut shells, an abundant agricultural byproduct, into biocomposite sheets. Peanut shells, rich in cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, are processed into micro-flour ( 100 !Jm) and incorporated into a natural rubber gum-based binder matrix. The resulting slurry is cast into sheets and consolidated through controlled drying and hot pressing to obtain flexible, durable, and self-supporting leather-like materials. Optional eco-friendly surface finishing enhances aesthetics and surface performance. The fabricated bio-leather is evaluated using ASTM and ISO standards for mechanical strength, abrasion resistance, flex-crack resistance, water absorption, and color fastness. Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) and Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) are conducted to assess environmental and economic feasibility. The developed material offers a fully biodegradable leather substitute with strong potential for applications in fashion, footwear, upholstery, automotive interiors, and sustainable packaging, supporting circular economy principles and global sustainability goals."
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