LEATHERTECHNOLOGY

Structureof Hides and Skins

The hides and skins of domesticated animals are cattle, Buffalo, goat and
sheep and these are converted into varioustype of leather.
The supply of hides and skins from these animals are regularly in
commercial quantities. Hides and skins of other domestic animals e.g. horse and
pig are also tanned in as much quantity as they are available. The supply of hides
and skins from non-domestic animals skins of deer,kangaroo,are also tanned but
asa limited amount.
Camel and Yak hides are also tanned in small quantities in certain part of the
world. Yak is available in Himalayan belt, Tibet and Mangolia. Only one variety of
bird skin is tanned that is Ostrich skins. Ostrich is found in South Africa.
Amongfish skin those are shark, salmon are tanned as for asthey are available.
Skins of snake, crocodiles and lizards are also tanned. Dressing of fur like deer,
rabit, tiger and lions are also tanned.The animals which supply most of hides and
skins for the manufacture of leather are classed as Mammalia. The chief
characteristics of this class is that its members have all hairy skins and suckle their
babies. The hides and skins of cattle,horse.buffalo,goat and sheep all belongs to
the class mammalian but their anatomical structure and leather making
properties are differ.
Structure of Hidesand skins are classified in two parts.
(1) Anatomical structure
(2) Chemical structure
ANATOMICALSTRUCTURE-: The hides and skins are mainly consists of three
layers.
(i) Epidermisor Outer layer
(ii)Dermis or Corium layer
(iii)Hypodermisor Flesh layer
(i) Epidermisor Outer layer-: It is comparatively thinner than corium. Itsthickness
is only 1—2% of the total thickness of the entire skin. It divided itself into two
layer of cells –the Outer or Horny layer and inner or soft layer.
The inner layer takes their food in the form of blood with corium layer. When thin
food transferred to outer layer itswill be late and all the cells were dead as the
form of Dandruff.
(ii) Dermis-: This layer consistsof two layer. (a)Grain layer (b)Corium layer.
 (a) Grain layer-: Grain layer is also known as corium minor. It is top of the corium
about one fifth of the total thickness. This layer hasa characteristic, grain pattern
due to the presence of hair follicles. The grain pattern depends upon the density
and structureof the hair follicles.
(b) Corium layer-: This isthe main layer of hidesor skins constituting about 98% of
its thickness. The hair papilla containsnerves and blood vessels. Due to the blood
circulations of animals body a lot of cells are produced. As new cells are formed
the older ones are pushed upward through the follicles forming the hair. The rate
of growth of the hair is determined by the rate at which the cell surrounding the
papilla reproduce. The newly formed cell of the hair substance are soft and slowly
moving upward become elongated and hardened. In forming the hair they take
the shape of the follicle. At the bottom of the hair follicle the hair root is
expanded and hasa bulb like shape.
The portion of the hair above the surface of the skin is called shaft and
lower portion the root.
The hair is also divided into three layers.
(i) Hair cuticle-: Upper hair.
(ii) Medulla -: This is surrounded by spindle-shaped cells which contains cortex
and it haspigment colour.The pigment gives colour to the hair.
(iii)Fat Glands-: The fat glands are made of cells having nucleusand are arranged
like grapes in a bunch. The oil present can act as a barrier to water penetration
duringthe soaking operation.
The fat glands on the other hand, maintain the body temp. by covering the
body with a film of oilsand thusregulate the surfaceevaporation of water.
In structurecorium is entirely different from epidermis.
Hair is the typical epidermis structure and is entirely a product of the
epidermis. The cell of the epidermis dip down into the body of the dermis and
form a hair pocket, in which the hair grows.
(c) Hypodermis or Flesh layer-: Thislayer is found below the dermislayer. It isthe
loose connective tissue lying between the hide or skin and the actual body of the
animal. At the time of flaying a part of this tissue remain attached to the hide or
skin.
The flesh is removed in fleshing operation after liming.

Chemical Structure of Hide and Skin-:

Raw hidesand skins have---
Water –65%
Protein –33%
Minerals–0.5%
Fats--
Cattle, Calf –2%
Goat ---- 2—10%
Sheep –5 –30%
The relative proportionsof these materials vary from skin to depending upon the
species, age, breed, feeding and other habitsof the animals.
Proteins-: Proteins are structural units of living thing containingcarbon, hydrogen,
oxygen and sulphate.
(a) Structural-protein-: (Fibrous-proteins) are four.
(i)Keratin (ii)collagen (iii)Elastin (iv)Reticulin
(i) Keratin -: it is dissolved with lime liquor and Na2S it will be loose and when we
apply the mechanical operation in pelt it will be totally removed by the
pelt.
(ii) Collagen -: Thisis the most important proteinsin hidesand skins and occurs in
them in the largest amount. It is the protein constituents of the white fibres of
the corium and forms about 30.33% of the weight of the whole fresh
skins.
Composition of dried collagen is----
Carbon—50.2%, Hydrogen –6.4%, Nitrogen –17.8%, Oxygen and Sulphar –
25.4%
Collagen is a complex protein containing variousamino-acids. It is insoluble in
organic solvent, water and dilute acids and alkalies at ordinary temp. It is collagen
which combines with tanning substances and is converted in to
leather.
(iii)Elastin -: The elastin is removed by enzymatic treatment in the bating
operation.
(iv) Reticuline-: Reticuline is attached by strong alkali treatment and may be
removed by sodium sulphide.
(b) Non-structural-protein-:
these are three types-
(i)Albumins-: Soluble in water (soaking).
(ii)Globulins-: When salt is added in raw skin it is present in skin but when we
wash it for removal of salt in soaking operation it is automatically removed with
skin fibres.
(iii) protein mucins-; It issoluble in diluted alkali and it is removed in living process
with addition of lime.
Upper layer of the Corium-:
The upper layer of the corium is called grain layer. This grain layer is called
thermostat later because it keeps the body temperature constant through the
action of sweat and fat glands present in it. The thermostat layer is also called
corium minor. It constitute the upper parts of the corium and occupies about 10
—25% of its entire thickness.
It is of great important that no damage is done to the grain surface in
removing the epidermis because it determines the appearance of the finished
leather.
Action of protein with acid and alkal-:
The equilibrium of such electrically changed linkage (salt link) in a neutral
protein can be broken by addition of acids or alkalies which discharge either of
the a positive or a negative charge.
In acid or alkaline medium, the concentration on either positive or negative
changes takes place at various points of the collagen chain. Due to the
concentration of the changes repelling one another, the deformation of the
molecule takes place resulting in the fibresbecoming broader and shorter. At the
some time, the change growth are surrounded by a film of water causing that is
called swelling of the pelt. Such swelling can be prevented by adding certain
neutral salts which dissociation of the collagen complex and the accumulation of
like change in the collagen chain. The degree of swelling is a function of pH value
of the solution and is measured by determining the increase in weight due to the
absorption of water.