Dispersion processing aids for the formation of a leather material

1. A method of forming a leather substrate material comprising:

processing a leather material to form leather material particles comprising collagen fiber bundles;

combining the leather material particles with a fluid to form a solution, wherein the collagen fiber bundles of the leather material particles absorb at least a portion of the fluid;

adding a polymer latex to the solution;

adding a dispersion aid to the solution;

causing the collagen fiber bundles to be dispersed in the solution; and

removing at least a portion of the fluid from the solution to form a leather substrate, wherein the leather substrate exhibits a tear resistance of greater than about 20 Newtons when tested in accordance with ASTM D 4704.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding an ionic salt to the solution.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processing the leather material comprises cutting or grinding the leather material to a particulate form and screening the leather material particles to restrict the leather material particles to a desired size.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing the collagen fiber bundles to be dispersed in the solution separates the collagen fiber bundles from one another into individual fibrils.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processing the leather material comprises grinding or reducing the leather material to a particulate form.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting pH of the solution.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dispersion aid comprises a polyvinyl alcohol, a polyacrylate polymer, or a polysaccharide, or a combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dispersion aid comprises a polysaccharide having a molecular weight less than 500 grams per mole.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer latex comprises an acrylic polymer latex.

10. A leather substrate formed by a process comprising:

manipulating a leather material to form leather material particles;

combining the leather material particles with a fluid to form a solution;

adding a polymer latex to the solution;

adding a dispersion aid to the solution; and

removing at least a portion of the fluid from the solution to form a leather substrate.

11. The leather substrate of claim 10 , wherein the leather substrate exhibits a tear resistance of greater than about 20 Newtons when tested in accordance with ASTM D 4704.

12. The leather substrate of claim 10 , wherein the dispersion aid comprises a polyvinyl alcohol, a polyacrylate polymer, a polysaccharide, or a combination thereof.

13. The leather substrate of claim 10 , further comprising adjusting pH of the solution.

14. The leather substrate of claim 10 , wherein the process further comprises adding an ionic salt to the solution.

15. The leather substrate of claim 10 , wherein the dispersion aid comprises a polysaccharide having a molecular weight of less than 500 grams per mole.

16. The leather substrate of claim 10 , wherein removing at least a portion of the fluid from the solution comprises causing at least a portion of the solution to pass through a mesh medium to provide a stock, and one or more of drying or pressing the stock to provide a leather substrate material.

17. A method of forming a leather substrate material comprising:

processing a leather material to form leather material particles, wherein the leather material particles comprise collagen fiber bundles;

at least partially distressing the collagen bundles of the leather material particles by adding a fluid to the leather material particles;

causing the collagen fiber bundles to be dispersed throughout the solution;

combining the leather material particles and fluid with a dispersion aid;

combining the leather material particles and fluid with a polymer latex to provide a latex solution; and

removing at least a portion of fluid from the latex solution to form a leather substrate wherein the leather substrate exhibits a tear resistance of greater than about 20 Newtons when tested in accordance with ASTM D 4704.