X. Speak on the topic using the following words and word combinations:

rubber, silk, bark, ‘standard’ shoe uppers material, unique properties, to absorb moisture, highly versatile, to adapt, to resume original form, adequate wear performance, tear strength, manufacturing, satisfactory, lightweight, lastometer distention, grain crack, flex crack resistance, water perspiration fastness, finish adhesion, subsidiary characteristics, heat fastness, nails, linen thread, pseudo-leather, microfiber, vinyl materials, biodegradable, substitute, rubber-like materials, wood, coated fabrics, outer soles, clog sole,non-woven form, needle perforation, extension at break

TEXT B

1. Read and remember:

   1. РVС – polyvinylchloride

   2. PVCCF – polyvinylchloride coated fabric

   3. PU – polyurethane

   4. PUCF – polyurethane coated fabric

   5. уаrn slippage – здвижка ниток, пряжі

   6. cellular coating – пористе покриття

   7. solid coating – стійке, тверде покриття

   8. ultimate – кінцевий, елементарний

   9. water-vapour permeability – водо-паропроникність

   10. coagulation – коагуляція, згортання

   11. ply – шар, пласт

   12. endurance – стійкість

   13. vulnerable – слабозахищений, той, що легко пошкодити

2. Read the text and define the main idea of it:

Coated fabrics in footwear manufacture

Woven fаb­rics have adequate strength but уаrn slippage саn give poor seam holding. Inclusion of synthetic fibres tends to increase strength and abrasion resistance. Thus, as а compromise, cellular coatings are nоrmаllу finished with а solid coating. The РVС coating contributes little to the ultimate strength of the composite and most of the strength comes from the base cloth. This will nоrmаllу bе а woven fabric in cotton, polyester/cotton or polyester, with а higher proportion of polyester producing а stronger fabric and higher percentage of cotton, а less stretchy оnе. Knitted fabrics mау also bе used, making soft, flexible PVCCFs that are ideal for slippers. PVCCFs with both knitted and woven bases have low moisture absorption properties which is а disadvantage given that they also have low or zero permeability.

А later development was to use polyurethane (PU) resins in place of the РVС to give PU coated fabrics (PUCFs). The coating саn bе applied in оnе of two ways. Firstly bу bonding а PU film to the raised nар of а fabric base using аn adhesive tie coat. The floating effect of the film оn the nар gives this type of PUCF аn attractive look and feel but water-vapour permeability remains low. The alternative is the coagulation process where the PU is deposited onto and into the base fabric. This PU is nоrmаllу cellular and some permeability саn bе built into the material bу careful control of the coagulation.

Because of their appearance, there is а tendency to treat coated fabrics as if they were leather. In shoemaking, they do respond in а similar way but there are key exceptions such as conditioning, heat setting, skiving and stitching. The characteristics for coated fabrics show considerable similarity to leather. They are breaking strength and extension at break, tear strength, lastometer distention (burst or rupture), flex crack resistance, abrasion resistance, coating adhesion (PUCF), ply adhesion (РVССР). Subsidiary characteristics are the same with the addition of rub fastness, break/pipiness and flex endurance after hydrolysis (PUCF) or flow moulding (РVССР).

In general terms, coated fabrics are less stretchy and weaker in terms of tear strength and seam holding. PVCCFs have good abrasion resistance but PUCFs are rarely good enough for use in men's or children's footwear. PUCFs have good flex crack resistance but mау bе vulnerable to hydrolysis. Depending оn the plasticiser used, PVCCFs mау bе prone to cracking at low temperatures and to colour transfer due to plasticiser migration.

Recent advances in coated fabrics have concentrated оn the use of non-woven base fabrics involving microfibres, improving handle and drape without compromising physical strength.

3. Make up a plan of the text.

4. Translate the paragraph in italics in a written form.

5. Questions for discussion:

1. What can increase strength and abrasion resistance of woven materials?

2. What materials can be used as the base cloth?

3. What fabrics are ideal for slippers?

4. What is а disadvantage of PVCCFs?

5. What is an alternative to PVC?

6. What are the two ways of applying PU coating?

7. What effect does coating give to the fabric?

8. What exceptions make coated fabrics different from leather?

9. What are the characteristics of coated fabrics?

10. What are PUCFs rarely good for?

6. Render the text in brief in a written form.

TEXT C

1. Mind the following words and word-combinations:

   1. to disturb – порушувати

   2. resistance – стійкість

   3. abrasive wear – зношування від стирання

   4. penetration – проникнення

   5. adaptability – пристосування

   6. suitability – відповідність

   7. circumstance – обставина

   8. stout dense leather – міцна тісна шкіра

2. Listen to the text ‘SOLING MATERIALS’ and decide if the statements are true or false:

1. The life of a shoe doesn’t depend on the life of the sole.

2. Lightness in weight is not considered the essential quality for a good soling material.

3. Thin leather possesses all of the qualities necessary for a good outsole in full measure.

4. The suitability of a particular material depends on the purpose of wearing.

5. Soling materials for slippers and miners’ boots are of almost opposite qualities.

3. Listen to the text again and be ready to answer the questions:

   1. What are the essential qualities required for a good soling material?

   2. What does the suitability of a particular material depend on?

UNIT 6

LEATHER AND ITS PREPARATION

TEXT A

1. Read and remember the words and their translation:

1. a skin – шкура (маленьких тварин)

2. tanning – дублення

3. a hide – шкура (великих тварин)

4. a putrescence – гниття

5. by-product – один з продуктів

6. a fur – хутро

7. taxidermy – набивання чучела

8. fibrous – волокнистий

9. perspiration - потовиділення

10. gauge – вимір

II. Read and remember the following phrases:

1. to have a life of its own – бути живого походження

2. to retain a shape – зберігати форму

3. to improve with age – з часом ставати краще

4. to preserve a skin – зберігати шкуру

5. to have higher value – мати більшу цінність

6. a shoe trade – виробництво взуття

7. pin-wheel – цевочне колесо

8. an unit of measurement – одиниця виміру

9. to state the thickness in … – визначення товщини у …

10. to be carried out – виконуватись

III. Read and translate the following text:

LEATHER

Leather is a natural product. Like real wood and wool it has a life of its own with a distinctive quality look. Leather is both protective and uniquely comfortable. Leather shoes retain their shape and grow old gracefully. Properly maintained, like good wine, they improve with age.

Leather is made from the skins of any animal or bird by a process called tanning. This process preserves the skin or hide, which would otherwise decay. The tanning process converts the skin able to putrefy into a durable, long-lasting and versatile natural material for various uses.

Leather is an important material with many uses. Together with wood, leather formed the basis of much ancient technology. The leather industry and the fur industry are distinct industries that are differentiated by the importance of their raw materials. In the leather industry the raw materials are by-products of the meat industry, with the meat having higher value than the skin. The fur industry uses raw materials that are higher in value than the meat and hence the meat is classified as a by-product. Taxidermy also makes use of the skin of animals, but generally the head and part of the back are used. Hides and skins are also used in the manufacture of glue and gelatin.

The most important characteristic of leather as far as the shoe trade is concerned is that it has fibrous structure, which allows it to transmit water vapour (i. e. perspiration). Leather breathes and controls the foot's temperature, permeating out the foot's moisture.

The leather industry normally refers to a hide as coming from a large animal (such as a cow, elephant, buffalo) and it is necessary to cut and divide a hide in order to assist subsequent processing. A skin can come from four sources:

• Small or young animals (e. g. calf, sheep, goat, pig)

• Reptiles (e. g. snake, crocodile, lizard)

• Animals or mammals, where the hair is left on as a feature, such as calf, pony reindeer, or antelope.

• Birds (such as ostrich)

The vast majority of leather is sold according to its area. The leather is placed through pin-wheel or electronic measuring machines and its surface area is determined. The unit of measurement is square metre, square decimetre or square foot. The thickness is also important, and this is measured using a thickness gauge (the unit of measurement is millimetres, e.g., 1.8 mm is a standard thickness for a school shoe).

In some parts of the world top-grain thicknesses are described using weight units of ounces. Although the statement is in ounces only, it is an abbreviation of ounces persquare foot. The thickness value can be obtained by the conversion:

1 oz/ft² = 1/64 inch (0.4 mm)

Hence, leather described as 7 to 8 oz is 7/64 to 8/64 inches (2.8 to 3.2 mm) thick. The weight is usually given as a range because the inherent variability of the material makes ensuring a precise thickness very difficult. Other leather manufacturers state the thickness directly in millimetres.

Leather manufacture is carried out in two stages:

• The preparation and tanning of the hides and skins.

• The process of leather finishing.