COMBINATION TANNING

COMBINATION TANNING

• Combination Tanning is when hides have been both chrome tanned and vegetable tanned to produce
leather with a combination of both tanning properties, it is sometimes called veg re-tanned or semi veg
tanned
• Combination tanning can also be a combination of vegetable tanning and alum tanning, or a
combination of vegetable tanning and silica acid tanning hence combination tanning is a combination of
two tanning processes to produced an improved tanned leather with new or a combination of properties.
• The properties of the leather are determined buy how much of each type of tanning is done.
• After the pre-tanning processes curing limning deliming bating and pickling of hides to remove hairs,
wools, fat residues and change the pH
VEGETABLE TANNING AND CHROME TANNING

• The properties for vegetable tanned leather are rich colors, stiffness, thickness, long lasting
and properties for chrome tanning softness, water resistance, thinness and stretchiness
• Either tanning process can be done first but usually chrome tanning is done then followed
by vegetable tanning
• This creates a leather that has a combination of the above properties a leather that is thin,
soft, water resistance but also rich in color and long lasting
• Leather used to make clothing such a jackets or hand bags can imply this kind of tanning
where appearance and durability are key
SILICA ACID TANNING AND VEGETABLE
TANNING
• Silica acid is derived from sodium silicate
• Tanning with silicate produces a leather that has poor storage stability hance it is combined with
veg tanning to improve the comprehensive performance of the leather
• It is combined to 1:1 ratio of mass of silica to veg tanning
• Extracts from the mimosa and valonia can be used for the veg tanning
• Leather tanned with this combination possessed improved thermal stability, acceptable softness,
enhanced mechanical properties, appropriate hydrophilicity and enhanced storage stability
• This leather can be used to make furniture and shoes
ALUM TANNING AND VEGETABLE TANNING

• Is a combination of akum tanning and vegetable tanning either wattle or henna can be used
• Henna-aluminum tannage is used for the tanning of upper leather
• Extracts from the Lawsonia inerims(Henna) leaves and aluminum sulphate
• Firstly tanning with 1% or 2% Aluminum then followed by 20% of henna Al-henna but
henna-Al tanning that is tanning with Henna first produces a better leather
• The tanning is done with a pH range between 4,5-4,7 and it takes about 7 hours
• This combination tanning produces a particular soft leather can be used to make clothes
ADVANTAGES OF COMBINATION TANNING

• It is specific it targets the short coming of some of the tanning processes for example in
the silica acid and veg tanning combination
• Modification can be done to improve some properties of create new desired properties for
example chrome tanned and veg tanning combination
• Chrome free tanning can be done with other combinations making them environmentally
friendly causing less pollution
ALTERNATIVE TO CHROME TANNING
COMBINATION TANNING
• Takes longer a few days or weeks
• Specific properties on the leather
• Cause little to no pollution
• Colors are rich and deep
• More expensive
CHROME TANNING
• Takes a short time a day or so
• A fixed set of properties
• Causes a lot of pollution
• Colors vary
• Less expensive
CONCLUSION

• There are other combination systems such as the dialdehyde alginic acid (DAA) using
glutaraldehyde, oxazolidine and Tetrakis Hydroxymethyl Phosphonium Sulfate (THPS)
• Combination tanning is an alterative focusing to reduce or stop the usage of chrome
tanning which causes a lot of pollution
• It is also used too make custom leather with specific properties in mind such as high
mechanical strength and waterproof or a combination of both
REFERENCES

1. L. Yang et al. Journal of Leath ( er Science and Engineering (2021)

2. Musa, A., Aravindhan, R., Madhan, B., Rao, J. and Chandrasekaran, B., 2011. Henna-aluminum
combination tannage: A greener alternative tanning system. Journal of the American Leather
Chemists Association, 106(06), pp.190-199.
3. FATHIMA, N.N., Saravanabhavan, S., RAO, J.R. and NAIR, B.U., 2004. An eco-benign tanning
system using aluminium, tannic acid, and silica combination. environments, 3, p.4.

4. Zhang, Z., Liu, Y., Wang, J., Xie, T., Sun, L. and Li, Z., 2021. A chrome-free combination tanning
strategy: based on silicic acid and plant tannin. Journal of Leather Science and Engineering, 3(1),
pp.1-13.
THE END