NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY WARANGAL

GREEN TECHNOLOGY
SEMINAR
LEATHER MANUFACTURING (FAT LIQUORING)
Guided By: Presented By:
Dr. Neelima Tripathi B.Tech. Class of 2018
NIT Warangal
Presentation Flow
Introduction

Process Flow Sheet

Fat Liquoring Process

Green Technology Aspects

Discussion and Conclusion

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Presentation Flow
Introduction
Process Flow Sheet

Fat Liquoring Process

Green Technology Aspects

Discussion and Conclusion

3
INTRODUCTION
• Being from a natural resource leather is often considered to be a more
environmentally benign material than artificial textiles and fabrics
• Modern leather manufacturing processes, however, consume large
volumes of chemicals including many environmentally unsound ones
such as chromium and formaldehyde
• For every kilogram of finished leather product approximately seven
kilograms of chemicals (excluding water) are used
• In many parts of the world the large effluent volume coming from the
manufacturing process is regulated and many more eco-friendly
alternative chemicals are being developed

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INTRODUCTION
• After removal from the animal the hides start to deteriorate rapidly
through bacterial action. In order to minimize this, the hides are usually
salted either in concentrated brine or by covering with dry salt. In some
instances small amounts of organic materials, e.g. naphthalene, are
added to enhance the preservation
• All the salt used in the process ends up in an aqueous waste stream at
the tannery, approximately 5 l of saturated brine being produced per
kilogram of hide
• Another alternative, which has achieved little commercial success, is
irradiation. Irradiation with either electron beams (10 MV). This
technique is widely used for some medical products but is currently
considered too costly for leather.
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Presentation Flow
Introduction

Process Flow Sheet

Fat Liquoring Process

Green Technology Aspects

Discussion and Conclusion

6
PROCESS FLOW SHEET

Hide Washing and

Soaking Liming
Preservation De-liming

Tanning Fat Liquoring Finishing

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CHEMICALS INVOLVED
PROCESS CHEMICALS
Hide Preservation Salt And Organic Preservatives
Soaking Detergents, Salts
Liming Ca(OH)2 , NaOH, Na2S
Washing and De-liming NH4Cl
Tanning Vegetable Tans, Syntans, Mineral Tans
Dyeing And Fat Liquoring Dyes, Fat Liquor, Retaining Agents
Finishing Water Proofing, Surface Coating

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Presentation Flow
Introduction

Process Flow Sheet

Fat Liquoring Process

Green Technology Aspects

Discussion and Conclusion

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FAT LIQUORING
Because most of the natural oils and fats present in the hide have been removed during the
above process steps, one of the final stages in leather manufacture is to replace them, in order
to give leather a supple feel and prevent the fibres sticking together when dry. This process is
called fat liquoring. In general fat liquoring uses environmentally benign products from
renewable resources. The most common fat-liquors are vegetable oil based fatty acids. In order
to ensure penetration they are applied as an emulsion in water, often under mildly basic
conditions with subsequent fixing at lower pH.

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FAT LIQUORING
• The level of unsaturation in the acid has an important bearing on the properties. Often
highly unsaturated oils are sulfited or sulfated to both overcome this and provide
additional water solubility and compatibility
• Mineral oils, although relatively environmentally unfriendly, are still used in some
applications largely because of their good fastness and waterproofing properties

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Presentation Flow
Introduction

Process Flow Sheet

Fat Liquoring Process

Green Technology Aspects

Discussion and Conclusion

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GREEN TECHNOLOGY ASPECTS
Like any complex industrial process, leather manufacturing produces waste and uses some non-
environmentally benign materials. During the last few years all aspects of the process have undergone
some greening. This has seen development of more benign products as well as transfer of greener
technology to the tanners.

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Presentation Flow
Introduction

Process Flow Sheet

Fat Liquoring Process

Green Technology Aspects

Discussion and Conclusion

14
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
• The sustainability of the leather industry crucially depends on how well it manages the
liquid and solid wastes
• While end-of-pipe treatment systems are in place to comply with discharge standards for
liquids, solid waste management is becoming critical.
• With fleshing representing approximately 50% of all solid wastes generated in the leather
industry, a proper management plan is essential
• Value addition to leather such as providing customer specified aesthetic features are
provided through use of host of proprietary products classified as fat liquors and syntans
• These products are imported into the country leading to huge loss of national revenue
• There is ample scope for adopting a multifunctional strategy such as use of fleshing for
preparation of re-tanning and fat-liquoring agents that can not only provide for replacing
proprietary products but also tackle the vast solid waste menace

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BIBLIOGRAPHY
[1] Green Technology, Mike Lancaster
[2] Wintana Kassahun, ‘Preparation of leather Fat liquor cum filler from
fleshing waste for Retanning process in leather manufacture’, Addis
Ababa Institute of Technology (AAiT)
[3] Pictures: from Research Paper

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THANK YOU

Ranul Jain-(146230)-Green Technology 17