Estimation of Chrome-free Tanning Method Suitability in Conformity with Physical and Chemical Properties of Leather

Abstract

The change of tanning parameters reflects on leather chemical and physical properties. The standardized
determination methods of more important for customers leather indexes do not allow absolutely clear to conclude about
suitability of developed tanning method for leather processing. Due to this DSC analysis and IR spectroscopy were
employed as additionally analyses methods for the clarification of tanning process influence on leather qualitative
properties.
During research established structural characteristics of variously tanned leather show how differently tanning
materials join to derma collagen and prove that content of linked tanning materials is not most important factor, which
ordains the thermo stability of collagen, in the case of chrome-free tanning. The results of DSC and IR-spectroscopy
clarify the data obtained by other investigation methods and allow more exactly estimation of the tanning method
suitability for leather processing. It was established that variation of vegetable tannins in tanning recipe influences on
leather properties and best results are obtained using mimosa tannins