title: Collagen fibril orientation and tear strength across ovine skins.
abstract: Variability of physical properties across hides and skins requires careful consideration when manufacturing goods from leather. Therefore, an understanding of the extent of this variation and its nanostructural basis is useful. Tear strength tests were performed on ovine leather from a grid of 81 positions on skins. Synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering measurements were made from three positions on the skin, from 26 skins. The X-ray structural measurements are compared with tear strengths of the samples. It is found that the thickness normalized tear strength does not vary greatly between different positions on the skin, in contrast to bovine hides. There is more variation between different skins than within the same skin. The collagen fibril orientation and orientation index, which has previously been shown to be correlated with tear strength, do not vary significantly between the different sampling positions in ovine skins. The collagen fibril orientation varies through the thickness of the skin in a consistent way. The consistency of collagen orientation in ovine leather between different positions on the skin is in marked contrast to bovine hides and informs the use of ovine leather for manufacturing applications.
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering and Advanced Technology, Massey University , Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Basil-Jones
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Edmonds
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: Nigel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kirby
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hawley
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Haverkamp
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003094:Collagen / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D053838:Scattering, Small Angle; D033081:Shear Strength; D012756:Sheep / Q000378:metabolism*; D012867:Skin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003094:Collagen