Tanning Essay

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Tanning is the process by which animal skins are transformed into commercial leather. There are two main methods of tanning - Vegetable Tanning and Chrome Tanning. The latter uses chrome salts as the main tanning agent, and is the process widely used in India. Vegetable tanning involves the use of tannins that naturally occur in tree bark and leaves of certain species. The tannins have properties that help them bind to collagen present in the skins. The process makes the hides less water soluble and more flexible. This is a time consuming process and fairly nonpolluting when compared to chemical tanning processes. Mathew (2012), describes that in chrome tanning hides are first acidified with sulphuric acid and common salt. Next, treatment is done with a solution of …show more content…

This process is carried out in large drums or vats with paddles and workers using long sticks to churn the hides in the solution, (Gupta Shivam, 2007). Tanning- It is also known as the wet blue stage. In this stage that chemicals like Chrome VI, are added to the hides and then put into large drums that revolve so as to allow proper mixing of the agents into the hide. The purpose of using these agents is largely to improve the abrasion resistance, stability and overall life of the hide. Chrome III is the most feasible and economically viable agent available. No alternative has been found for it as yet. Post this come the stages of wringing splitting, shaving, re-tanning, coloring and fat-liquoring. Fat-liquoring- This is the last of the chemical processes. More the fat-liquors added, more is the softness of the leather. After this comes the end stages of setting out, toggling, staking, dry milling, buffing, finishing and plating. These last steps are dry steps and have no major negative impacts (Gupta Shivam,

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