Leather Science

Module III
 INTRODUCTION
When an animal is alive
its skin is soft
flexible
very tough
ability to allow water vapour to pass out
it will not allow water in

When the skin dies It loses these characteristics

if it is kept wet it rots
if it is dried it goes hard and brittle

Leather is animal skin that has been treated such that its
natural properties are retained.
 Leather making Process
Tanning is the main process by which
leather is made.
Main purpose of tanning is to
permanently fix the fibres apart by
chemical treatment.
It is mainly divided into three stages
Pre Tanning
Tanning
Post tanning
 Objectives of Tanning

To retain the skin's natural properties

To stabilise its structure
To chemically process it so it will no
longer be subject to putrefaction
It impart colour, texture and finish to
the leather
 Pre Tanning Operations
CURING

Raw hides and skins are preserved to

stop them from deteriorating

Methods of preservation include

salting
Chilling
freezing
use of biocides.
Soaking
Cured hides or skins are soaked in
water for several hours to several
days.
This allows them to reabsorb any
water they may have lost.
It also helps to clean them of salt
and dirt.
Unhairing
The keratin of hair and wool is subject
to attack by alkali, which will break the
cystine linkage of the keratin.
The hair is attacked first at the root.
Hair roots are dissolved after being
steeped in a solution of alkali (sodium
or calcium hydroxide) and a reducing
agent
Liming
The process of liming is a combination of
chemical and physical action on the skin
structure

A solution of lime and sodium sulphide is used

and the skins are immersed in this solution.

Effects of liming process

Modification of collagen
Swelling
Removal of unwanted material
 Fleshing
It is the first mechanical operation
carried on the skins.
The hides are passed between two
rollers
remaining fat and flesh is removed.
 Deliming & Bateing

Deliming:-The principal action of deliming

is to gradually neutralise the alkali in the
pelt
It is carried out with slightly acidic
chemicals
Bateing: It is an operation to complete
the deliming process, by eliminating
residues of other substances to achieve
a soft and flexible leather.
It is based on the use of enzymes .
 Pickling
It lowers the pH value to the acidic
region.
Pickling is normally done to help with
the penetration of certain tanning
agents
Pickling solutions are used to
preserve pelts so that they can be
stored or transported in a stable form
over periods of several months.
 Tanning
Tanning converts the protein of the raw hide or
skin into a stable material, which will not
putrefy

It form cross links in the collagen structure and

stabilise it against the effects of acids, alkalis,
heat, water and the action of micro-organisms.

Types of tanning
Vegetable Tanning
Mineral Tanning
 Vegetable tanning
A vegetable tannage uses tannin extract, which occurs
naturally in a variety of different tree barks like oak,
chestnut, tanoak or hemlock.
The tannin extract is mixed with water and placed in a
rotating drum along with the animal skin.
The rotation of the drum will evenly distribute the extract
over the skin.
This process takes about three to four days and produces a
leather that is flexible.

Mineral tanning
Mineral tanning uses a chemical called chromium sulphate.
The chromium sulphate has to sufficiently soak into the
animal skin to achieve proper tannage.
This process takes around 24 hours to complete and
produces a leather that is stretchable.
Post Tanning Operations