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Sodium metasilicate based fiber opening for greener leather processing.
Subramani Saravanabhavan1, Palanisamy Thanikaivelan, Jonnalagadda Raghava Rao
1Chemical Laboratory, Centre for Leather Apparel and Accessories Development, Central Leather Research Institute, Adyar, Chennai 600 020, India.
Environmental Science & Technology
|April 30, 2008
Summary
This study introduces a cleaner leather processing method using enzymes and sodium metasilicate, significantly reducing environmental impact. The new technique achieves comparable leather quality while lowering chemical oxygen demand and total solids.
Area of Science:
- Leather Manufacturing
- Environmental Science
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Conventional leather processing, particularly dehairing and fiber opening, generates substantial environmental pollution.
- Tannery wastewater is characterized by high biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD), along with hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas emissions.
- Increasing environmental regulations necessitate cleaner and more sustainable approaches in the leather industry.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an environmentally friendly dehairing and fiber opening process for leather manufacturing.
- To evaluate the efficacy of using an enzyme and sodium metasilicate for cleaner leather processing.
- To assess the impact of the new process on leather quality and environmental parameters.
Main Methods:
- Standardization of sodium metasilicate concentration for optimal proteoglycan removal and enhanced leather bulk.
- Utilizing scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and softness measurements to assess fiber opening.
- Employing energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) to confirm silica presence and its effect on leather properties.
- Conducting physical and hand evaluations to compare performance with conventionally processed leathers.
Main Results:
- The enzyme and sodium metasilicate process achieved fiber opening comparable to conventional methods, as confirmed by SEM and softness tests.
- Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis verified the presence of silica in the crust leather, contributing to improved bulk properties.
- Leather processed with the new method demonstrated performance on par with conventionally processed leather through physical and hand evaluations.
- Significant reductions in chemical oxygen demand (55%) and total solid loads (24%) were observed in the wastewater.
Conclusions:
- The developed process using enzyme and sodium metasilicate offers a cleaner and more sustainable alternative for leather dehairing and fiber opening.
- This method yields high-quality leather with enhanced bulk properties and comparable performance to traditional methods.
- The process significantly reduces environmental pollutants, making it economically beneficial and aligned with growing environmental regulations.
