LEATHER LOOP COMPRESSION
The leather loop test is used to give an indication of softness. A loop of leather is held in a spring-loaded clamp and a platen used to apply a compression/de-compression cycle test on the loop. Measurements of the force exerted on the leather during the compression stroke (applied energy) and the force exerted by the leather during the decompression stroke (recovered energy) are recorded. The ratio of the recovered /applied energy is calculated and defined as the “springiness” of the sample. This parameter is a good measure of the softness of the leather.
