Malai is made in the form of sheets, each sheet is 120x80cm large. Technically we can produce sheets of any size or shape but our finishing technology is currently set to these dimensions.
The Natural color or Malai sheets are beige-yellowish ( color of our un bleached fibres) and we call this shade Natural. We dye sheets of Malai using plant based mordant free dyes. Plant extracts like Indigo, Madder, Cutch or Marigold petals are used in order to achieve warm earthy colors.
Because we use exclusively natural plant based dyes it can be difficult to work for us according to Pantone codes. There can be a variation in final shade of the sheet, a difference of up to 10% is not uncommon.
We produce Malai in 10 color shades : Natural, Cumin Yellow, Cutch Brown, Dusky Pink, Madder Red, Leafy Green, Light Indigo, Dark Indigo and Dark Grey - and the recent addition Jet BLACK.
During the production process we can tailor the final weight, thickness and strength of the material. We offer Malai sheets in 3 weights : 500 gsm, 650 gsm and 800 gsm.
Each weight refers to a particular thickness range :
500 gsm - 0.7-1.1 mm
650 gsm - 1.2 - 1.5 mm
800 gsm - 1.6 - 2 mm
The higher the gsm the stronger and thicker the material is. No textile backing is used on our sheets. The material has no front and reverse side - both sides have the same appearance.
Mechanical Properties
It is difficult to provide an exact data on comparison of mechanical properties of animal leather and Malai as we are in process not only to develop a new material but also to establish appropriate testing methods for it.
There are also minor differences between the sheets due to the currently used batch production manufacturing method.
We are actively conducting tests on Malai sheets in order to standardize and interpret the measured values correctly and in context with use in the leather-making goods industry.
Access the technical specifications sheet here.
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